THE RESULTS
Clearly, the perception amongst the student body is that Religious Education is not 'cool', as the following statistics show.
Are the following 'cool'?
(Remember the results in blue belong to the class which studied the course via a "Breaking Down the Barriers" approach).
Firstly it is important to keep the following in mind. Students generally think they are not affected by authority figures (apart from their parents, which they have openly admitted). 76% stated that respect for their freedom was crucial. 49% spoke of being critical of all forms of authority and 40% admitted to never hearing the Christian message anywhere else other than the classroom. Given all this, it is understandable why students react negatively, or feel that Christian teachings are irrelevant. They desire freedom and yet are influenced by trends and their friends, most of who desired to be like their favourite celebrity. 47% placed their favourite celebrity as the person they would most like to be like.
Much of the literature in the course supports the findings above and provides an explanation (at least for the 55.) The literature also sheds extra light. The language used is often unknown to the students and as Gallagher says we need to 'forge a new language' just as the secular culture has forged a new culture (Gallagher, 1993.p 137). Snowden also makes it clear that out attitude must not be one of 'authority' in the sense students understand, but we need to realise that, " We do not have all the answers" and yet " a reverence for truth is essential." (Snowden, 1982. p 76). However, I would argue, that whilst this is true, for all shall be revealed in its fullness in Heaven, we must, as St. Paul says, " … in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3: 15-16)
This will be more possible if we take a 'dialogue approach' (Gallagher, 1993.p 141) given the nature of the student's perception of authority. Particularly pertinent to this was an inspiration I had at the start of Term 2 after a negative Term 1 with another Year 11 class. I realised that Faith is a free gift; that I cannot give students their faith but that I can invite them to ask for it and hear God's voice. As a result, I distributed the following to the students at the start of the year. They had not heard the message before.
FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD
St. Matthew's Gospel
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Can anyone be forced to accept the Christian faith?
160. To be human, "man's response to God by faith must be free, and…therefore nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will…" (CCC)
So, we must ask for the gift of faith if we don't already want it and if we want the Life that Jesus offers.
One student exclaimed, " This is the best thing I have heard all year." The general reaction was very positive. Perhaps, this reaction is explained by the high percentage of those who stated that their life response is positive when their freedom is respected. (76%) Sr. Josephine Egan's work here is particularly pertinent when she writes on the development of a 'more open vision of education which reflected the transition from the counter-protest stance in operation in the Catholic Church .." after Vatican 2 (Egan, 1998.p 22).
Clearly we have much to listen to. We can see that students have deep concerns. These are evident in the question or statements found in the responses to various items in the survey. For example, 45% stated that "Nobody has ever seen God' as a reason for their attitude to RE. Yet, 47% stated that 'there is some truth to it'. As teachers, we shouldn't be disheartened. As Lenihan has demonstrated, "Children, as well as adults, have shown that they are engaged in pondering the divine revelation.." (Lenihan, 1993 p.15.) Like Gillian, even teenagers face the mysteries of life and death and often touch us by their reaction to it, such as in participation in retreats. We, as teachers must not let our 'busyness' affect student 'theologising' (Lenihan, 1993. p16 ) but nurture it with care. We must, above all, nurture what the students have revealed to own innately; an altruism, which is very promising and commendable.
Contrary to what the students might think, they are very Christian when it comes to participating in actions, which are not seen to be Christian, but which are, in fact Christian. Even if not considering these actions 'cool' in the majority, there is a lack of clarity about it, suggesting that students are struggling with their 'shallow' definition of coolness for the most part, (governed by their unflagging loyalty to and desire for belonging) and their true desires. More importantly, while the belief in altruistic acts is slightly higher in the control class, the evidence suggests that the existence of this altruistic-Christian mentality is universal, and only NURTURED rather than formed by Religious Education and modelling. Provided opportunity, students have demonstrated that they love helping others. (I will never forget some of this year's group last year in Year 10. Some of the most unlikely students - quasi bogans, best looking kids in the school - cool by definition - volunteered to visit the sick in the nursing home and to participate in Arts and Crafts to make items to sell for the poor.) When asked whether the following were cool students responded as follows.
Furthermore, they find it difficult to fault the church when it comes to altruistic acts for society. When considering the Church objectively, from an outsider's point of view, about issues that reflect their own desires, they are surprisingly positive about the Church. (I feel, however, that they are too positive about the altruism of Popular Music groups. I would suggest that this is symptomatic of the uncritical infatuation they still have for their idols.) The 'Abortion' statistic is important. Contrary to a negative perception of the Church's attitude to women who have had abortions, the students see the Church as more positive than music groups. (The government figure is too high, however).
When I have shared Avery Dulles' work with students, on the Models of Church, which Flynn also outlines on page 310 of his work, The Culture of Catholic Schools (1993), students' responses differ. However, they reveal that such an approach to understandings of Church taps into the non-institutional understanding of Church, which is most likely to be 'cool'. In my classes, the favourite image of Church has been Church as Pilgrim People and Church as Servant. Children realise they are not perfect and on a journey and realise the need for service.