Youth Guarantee Initiative
The case for the inclusion of Level 1 and 2 Religious Studies Achievement
Standards in the Vocational Pathways programme.
Social and Community Services Sector
LEVEL 1
90817 - Describe a significant development within a religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 the wider implications (social, political, historical, geographical, personal) of a significant
development within a religious tradition (Reformation, Enlightenment, Renaissance).
 evangelisation and secularisation; the phenomenon of religion as well as what this looks like
for people today as a result of the selected significant development.
 the effects of religion in society today going well beyond Christianity alone.
90818: Describe the application of key ethical principles of a religious tradition to an issue.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 the application of key ethical principles to important social issues in areas including the:
 social (e.g. death penalty, restorative justice…)
 personal (e.g. moral decisions, life choices…)
 environmental (e.g. carbon emissions, pollution…)
 political (e.g. war, peace, charity, foreign aid & development…)
 economic (e.g. development, fair trade…
 relevant and current social concerns (employers are becoming increasingly concerned with
the ethical principles and beliefs held by their employees).
 other religions including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism (which cover a
wide range of student believers).
90819: Describe key beliefs of a religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 Other religions. The religious make up of NZ is today increasingly varied. Raising
awareness and increasing understanding among students is vital to counteract religious
intolerance.
 Key religious beliefs studied can include:
 Buddhism - Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path;
 Islam – Prophetic Tradition;
 Christianity - Resurrection, Trinity, Incarnation
 Judaism - Ten Commandments, Torah
 Indigenous religions - polytheism, animism
 Hinduism - Atman, Brahman, Dharma, Moksha, Karma
National Centre for Religious Studies
August 2015
90816: Describe the purpose of a sacred text within a religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 the important part played by religion in many peoples’ lives - vital for anyone moving into
social / community sector work.
 how an adequate understanding of different religious beliefs provides critical insight into
social and community issues.
 the implications of sacred texts in social, historical, political, geographical and personal
issues that arise in today's society.
 a variety of religious traditions including:
 Islam - the Quran
 Christianity - the Bible
 Judaism - the Torah and the writings of the Prophets
 Hinduism - the Vedas
 religious traditions as key carriers of language features (allegory, symbolism, metaphor and
imagery) that have much in common with the English standards already accepted.
LEVEL 2
91724: Explain a significant theme in a sacred text within a religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 any number of themes (love, faith, respect, tolerance, peace, salvation, forgiveness,
reconciliation…) and their wider implications within a wide variety of religious traditions.
90821: Explain the changes in an expression(s) of a religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 past developments that have occurred in different religions and what the wider implications
of these changes were for society.
 current developments that are occurring in different religions and what the wider
implications of these changes may be for society.
 expressions of a religious tradition including:
 religious rites and rituals – i.e. religious practice and ceremony
 art
 music
 architecture
 prayer, worship and liturgy
 how events such as the Second Vatican Council, the Jerusalem Council, the Rashidun
Caliphate have been introduced; how ideas spread (nationally and internationally) and take
root in society among local people.
90822: Explain how a contemporary social action derives from the ethical principles of a
religious tradition.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 the ethical principles of a religious tradition and their application in contemporary social
action.
National Centre for Religious Studies
August 2015
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issues of injustice in the world, assuming personal and collective responsibility in
addressing them.
a variety of world religions, explaining the wider implications of social action and the
causes that led to the need for such action (social, political, personal, geographical, and
historical).
what social action actually entails:
 individual – volunteering (community causes etc.), caring (elderly, young, sick,
disabled, etc. ), visitation (prison, hospital, alone, etc.).
 collective – organised group involvement (Caritas, Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul,
City Mission, Salvation Army, etc.).
90823: Explain the key beliefs within two religious traditions in relation to a significant
religious question.
This standard should be included in the Vocational Pathways programme because it requires
students to consider:
 the variation (difference) between religions.
 the impact of religion on society today.
 how increased tolerance and understanding requires knowledge of and respect for of
difference and similarity in religious expression.
 social, personal, political, historical, and geographical implications.
 significant religious questions including the nature of God, the existence of suffering, good
and evil, life after death, etc.
Careers/jobs from the Vocational Pathways material that would benefit from
Religious Studies Achievement Standards include:
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Defence force: all/any
Education: all/any
Emergency Service roles: all/any
Medical/Health roles: all/any
Community services: all/any
Corrections: all/any
Counsellor
Customs Office
Special Education
Foreign Policy
Immigration
Diplomacy
Judicial
Minister of Religion
Childcare
Elderly care
Nursing Support and Care worker
Probation Officer
Youth Worker
Environmental roles
National Centre for Religious Studies
August 2015