Background to this Project
The 5-14 Programme consists of a set of Curricular Guidelines intended to ensure balanced and progressive learning from 5 to 14 years of age for pupils in Scottish Schools.
While the Programme addresses the whole curriculum, this document concentrates on Religious and Moral Education which, it is suggested, should occupy 10% of a pupil's curriculum.
The aims of courses in R&ME are to help pupils to:
"develop a knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other world religions and to recognise religion as an important expression of human experience;
appreciate moral values such as honesty, liberty, justice, fairness and concern for others;
investigate and understand the questions and answers that religions can offer about the nature and meaning of life;
develop their own beliefs, attitudes, moral vlaues and practices through a process of personal search, discovery and critical evaluation."
'Religious and Moral Education 5-14', SOED, 1992, page 2
The Attainment Outcomes that pupils should achieve are: "knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes ".
The headings for the areas of study which lead to these outcomes are: Christianity, Other World Religions, and Personal Search.
When the Guidelines were published in 1992, Strathclyde Regional Council
commissioned the Religious Education staff of the Faculty of Education at the
University of Strathclyde to 'flesh out' the recommended guidelines with
particular reference to "Other World Religions" (specifically Buddhism,
Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism).
The Attainment Targets (for Levels of Attainment A - E, from 5 - 14) resulting from this commission were produced after a consideration of the original Guidelines; the programmes of study adopted with young people within the various religious traditions; research into the religious and moral development of children; existing effective practice and the availability of quality teaching resources.
The Attainment Targets in relation to the headings (Christianity, Other World Religions and Personal Search) form the starting point of this database. Since these targets were produced for Strathclyde Regional Council their text is subject to copyright and is provided here for guidance and information.
Many of the Targets contain what may be considered 'technical' words. Glossaries with explanations are provided. The University of Strathclyde holds the copyright of the Glossaries.
Topics were subsequently identified
which would allow teachers to address these targets with their classes. These
topic titles are listed and ALL potentially relevant targets are
identified. Readers/users of these lists should be selective in the targets they
seek to achieve.
A link is provided from each of the Topics to a list of useful resources held in the Faculty's library. Sufficient information is provided for those outwith the Faculty to identify these resources in other sources.
To enable students and others to enrich their teaching the database contains scanned black and white images from our previous publications and we have commissioned new and/or improved images identified as of potential. The role of religious artefacts in bringing RE to life is widely acknowledged. We have, therefore, included a series of photographs of a wide range of artefacts. Many of the images and photographs are supported by backgound notes. These images and photographs can be reproduced, free of charge, for non-profitmaking educational purposes provided they are not altered and the copyright statement is not removed.
This database package is, then, intended to assist students and teachers in
the selection and preparation of material which will foster knowledge and
understanding, skills and attitudes in relation to Religion and Morality. Users
should ensure a balance in the content of their lessons and are urged to
consider the pupils' personal search for meaning, value and purpose as the
thread which binds together the resultant schemes of work.
The Targets and Topic lists were developed by C R D Foxon, I A S Gray, and A D Scrimgeour.
The lists of resources were compiled by: M J Allman, C R D Foxon, I A S Gray and D Hughes.