The R.E Department will work toward developing a positive response to the religious and moral needs of a modern Jamaica/Caribbean society. This will be achieved by:

• Engaging student teachers in discourses of reflection regarding the phenomenon called religion.
• Encouraging tolerance for persons of different religious persuasions.
• Utilizing technology in the dissemination of information, and by so doing, encourage students to pattern the methodologies.
• Equipping students with the knowledge and skills to assist them in making reasonable judgement and responsible moral choices.

Students completing the study of Secondary level Religious Education should have achieved an appropriate level of academic, moral and spiritual development, based on a realistic understanding of deity in relation to themselves, other human beings and the rest of creation. They should be willing to examine-and exhibit an appreciation for -beliefs and practices other than their own and/or those with which they may be familiar, and so begin to interpret the activities of both the dominant and the other religious groups around them in the context of balanced and accurate information.

The programs offered in the Religious Education Department includes a Double Option in Religious Education; Single Option in Religious Education, Religious Education with Guidance and Counselling and a Bachelors Degree in Religious Education. The Double Option focuses specifically on courses within the department. Single Option in Religious Education are also done in another department example History. The Guidance and Counselling along with Religious Education option focuses on counselling courses within the department as well as Religious Education.

Single Option R.E.

• Phenomena of Religion
• The History of Religious Education and Religious Thinking (pre-requisite for R.E. methods)
• Teaching in the Content Area (R.E. methods)
• Introduction to Old Testament
• Introduction to Ethics

Double Option Religious Education

• Introduction to the Study of Religion
• Cults and New Religious Movement
• Religious Culture and Society
• The History, Geography and Culture of Bible Land Introduction to Ethics
• Introduction to Sacred Text
• Introduction to Ethics
• Teaching Practicum

Guidance and Counseling

• Theoretical Foundations of Personal Development
• Life Management Skills
• Counseling Approaches to Behaviour Management
• Methodology in Guidance
• Contemporary Health and Substance Abuse Education
• Family Life Education and Conflict Management
• Counseling Theories
• Counseling Techniques
• Programme Development
• Counseling Adolescents
• Career Counseling
• Teaching Practicum

The department has a library with approximately 500 books that may be borrowed on a short-term basis. Books may be borrowed over a weekend period at the discretion of the Head of the Department. The department also has television sets, charts and maps, CDs, videos, video recorder, DVDs, portable white boards, flip charts, overhead projectors, multimedia projectors and computers which are utilized in the teaching learning experience.

Course Outlines are now available. Here...