STUDIES OF RELIGION CONFERENCE 4 & 5 September 2006

1. STUDIES OF RELIGIONCONFERENCE4 & 5 September 2006 Lindsay Swan Board Inspector - HSIE

2. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Religious education in NSW • HSIE K-6 syllabus • Years 7-10 and Stage 6 school based, Board endorsed courses, most of which are faith based • Stage 6 Studies of Religion I & II • General religious education

3. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Stage 6 Studies of Religion I & II promote an understanding and critical awareness of the nature and significance of religion and the influence of beliefs systems and religious traditions on individuals and within society.

4. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Stage 6 Studies of Religion I & II and the purpose of the Higher School Certificate program of study (among other things): • foster the intellectual, social and moral development of students, in particular developing their: • knowledge, skills, understanding, values and attitudes through their study of religion • students to manage their own learning • develop student desire to continue learning in formal or informal settings after school

5. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Stage 6 Studies of Religion I & II and the purpose of the Higher School Certificate program of study (among other things): • develop respect for cultural diversity in Australian society • develop student capacity to work together with others • provide a context within which schools have the opportunity to foster students’ physical and spiritual development.

6. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Trends of student enrolments Studies of Religion HSC courses 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 SOR I 8793 8934 8873 9084 9155 SOR II 1425 1927 2088 2321 2875

7. SOR Conference – September 2006 • The Board of Studies approved the revision of Stage 6 Studies of Religion in February 2003. This was a result of recommendations from the Masters Review of the HSC 2001, submissions from individual teachers, the professional association, the 2001 and 2002 examination committees and the 2001 and 2002 marking centres.

8. SOR Conference – September 2006 • The revision of the syllabus followed the Board’s syllabus development process which uses a project management approach and involves four phases: • syllabus review • writing brief development • syllabus development … and • implementation. • Wide consultation with teachers and other interest groups in order to receive the highest quality advice from across the education community.

9. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Syllabus writers were chosen from applications from practitioners of Studies of Religion • The project was managed by the Board Inspector and overseen by the Studies of Religion Board Curriculum Committee (SOR BCC) • The Board approved key phases of the syllabus development • New SOR syllabus approved in April 2005

10. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • A more thorough developmental approach where the HSC course builds on the Preliminary course in relation to: • knowledge and understanding • skills including research • sophistication of content and concepts

11. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • fewer, simpler outcomes, organised in relation to the objectives and the content • a more accessible content structurewith linked‘students learn about’ and ‘students learn to’ statements

12. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • Aboriginal beliefs and spiritualities included in the core of both the Preliminary and HSC courses • two religious tradition depth studies in the Preliminary and HSC courses of SOR I • three religious tradition depth studies in the Preliminary and HSC courses of SOR II

13. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • Preliminary course core study in both SOR I and II , Nature of Religion and Beliefs • additional studies in Preliminary SOR II for Religion in Australia Prior to 1945 and Religions of Ancient Origin • HSC course core study in both SOR I and II, Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post 1945 • HSC additional topics for SOR II, Religion and Peace and Religion and Non-Religion

14. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • an emphasis on a study of the whole religious tradition with common aspects of study for each tradition: Preliminary course • Origins • Principal beliefs • Sacred texts and writings • Core ethical teachings • Personal devotion/expression of faith/observance HSC Course • Significant people and ideas • Ethical teachings in the religious tradition about bioethics or environmental ethics or sexual ethics • Significant practices in the life of adherents.

15. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Key features of the new syllabus include: • variants no longer specified across the syllabus • no compare and contrast across the religious traditions • Interest Study Project (ISP) no longer required – a research based task can still be implemented in the Preliminary and/or HSC courses as part of formal or informal assessment • assessment requirements clarified – noting students will need to take care in the examination, especially SOR II students.

16. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Studies of Religion I HSC

17. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Studies of Religion II HSC

18. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Studies of Religion I HSC

19. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Studies of Religion II HSC

20. SOR Conference – September 2006 • Current status of SOR I & II • The Studies of Religion syllabus is being implemented in the Preliminary course from 2006 with the first HSC examination of the revised HSC course in 2007. • The new syllabus replaced the previous 1999 syllabus which is being examined for the last time in the 2006 HSC. • A Studies of religion support document is scheduled to be available on the Board’s website from term 4 2006.

21. SOR Conference – September 2006 What next for Studies of Religion? • As the new syllabus is being introduced to students for the HSC for the first time from later this year, it will be important to maintain an on-going dialogue with teachers, students and key groups to review and analyse the implementation of the syllabus and the operation of the examination over the next few years. • Studies of Religion will be included in the annual syllabus evaluation report to the Board of Studies.