Transmission of Religious Practices: An Overview of Catechetical Books for Selected Secondary Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania
Concetta Florian Mwilwa *
Jordan University College, A Constituency College of St. Augustine University of Tanzania, P.O.Box 1878, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Onesmo Amos
Jordan University College, A Constituency College of St. Augustine University of Tanzania, P.O.Box 1878, Morogoro, Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study examined the content of Catechesis teaching materials used in secondary schools under the Catholic Church. It focused on teaching Christian religion in secondary schools. A research design employed in this study will be a convergent mixed-methods design. Through questionnaires and interviews, the data were collected from six heads of schools (HoS), 30 Catechesis teachers, and 50 students. The findings revealed that the teaching materials for the Christian religion, referred to as Bible knowledge, incorporate catechism teachings, which also include certain religious practices. Additionally, the study found that some secondary schools continue to use the old syllabus from 2011, approved by the TEC, which still contains these religious practices. Consequently, this study recommended that the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference (TEC), consolidate the content from the two syllabuses into a single syllabus that integrates catechesis and religious practices.
Keywords: Catechesis, religious practices, faith, schools