Republic of Namibia

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND CULTURE

JUNIOR PRIMARY PHASE

RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EDUCATION

SYLLABUS

GRADE 1–3

ENGLISH VERSION

For implementation in 2024

Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture
National Institute for Educational Development (NIED)
Private Bag 2034
Okahandja
Namibia

© Copyright NIED, Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture 2023

Religious and Moral Education syllabus Grades 1-3

ISBN: 978-99945-2-359-7

Printed by NIED
Website: [Link]

Publication date: December 2023

 Table of Contents

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1

2. Rationale........................................................................................................................... 1

3. Aims .................................................................................................................................. 1

4. Inclusive education ........................................................................................................... 2

5. Links to other subjects and cross-curricular issues ......................................................... 2

6. Approach to teaching and learning .................................................................................. 3

7. End of phase competencies ............................................................................................. 4

7.1 Belonging .......................................................................................................................... 4

7.2 Phases of life .................................................................................................................... 4

7.3 The sacred ........................................................................................................................ 4

7.4 Festivals............................................................................................................................ 4

7.5 Social values .................................................................................................................... 5

7.6 Religion and the environment .......................................................................................... 5

7.7 Personal values ................................................................................................................ 5

7.8 Children’s rights and responsibilities................................................................................ 5

7.9 Topic of own choice .......................................................................................................... 5

8. Summary of the learning content ..................................................................................... 6

9. Learning content ............................................................................................................... 7

10. Assessment .................................................................................................................... 21

10 .1 Purpose of assessment .................................................................................................. 21

10 .2 Types of assessment ...................................................................................................... 21

10 .3 Grade descriptors ........................................................................................................... 22

10.4 Detailed guidelines for Continuous Assessment ........................................................... 23

ANNEXE 1: Glossary of terms ................................................................................................. 24

1. INTRODUCTION
This syllabus describes the intended learning for Religious and Moral Education in the Junior
Primary phase. As a subject, Religious and Moral Education is within the ‘spiritual’ and
‘moral and ethical’ areas of learning in the curriculum, and has thematic links to other
subjects across the curriculum. The aims, learning objectives, and competencies which
overlap between subjects are amongst the essential learning within the curriculum as a
whole. Under optimal circumstances, these subject needs 2 periods per week.

2. RATIONALE
Religion is a way of making meaning out of life. Children are brought up in the feelings,
values and relationships of their home culture from earliest childhood, and wonder about the
mysteries of life. The aim of Religious and Moral Education is to enable learners to
understand their religious beliefs and practices, and their values, and to accept other people
and groups whose values and religious traditions differ from their own.
This subject must be based on the learners’ own environment and background and their
questions and wondering about life. To help develop their understanding of religion, the
syllabus draws on aspects of recognised religions, mostly Christianity since it is so
widespread in Namibia, and others to a lesser extent. However, the teacher must adapt
emphasis according to which views of life are represented in the class. Some will come from
families who are nominal or practicing Christians, others might come from other faith groups,
and some will come from secular backgrounds. The teacher’s approach must not be rigid in
relation to his/her own beliefs, but ecumenical in terms of Christian beliefs, practices and
understanding, and religions and value systems.

3. AIMS
Religious and Moral Education enables learners to better understand themselves and the
changing multi-cultural world in which they are growing up. In this way the Religious and
Moral Education syllabus supports the following goals:
 foster the highest moral, ethical and spiritual values such as integrity, responsibility,
equality and reverence for life
 foster and promote the spiritual and religious well-being of the learner, with due regard
to the diversity and freedom of beliefs

The aims of Religious and Moral Education are to:

 develop an awareness of belonging in a family and community; and to foster good

relationships between home and school through encouraging the learner to seek
information from adult members of the family
 develop an awareness of the existence of worshipping communities and of their
importance, especially at turning points in life such as birth, puberty, marriage and death
 promote personal awareness of beliefs, a sense of awe and wonder, and a desire to
respect others, to further positive values, and to protect and preserve nature
 develop the learners’ affective, interpersonal and psychomotor potential through creative
activities, and to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills through group tasks
 develop an awareness of the rights of the child, including the right to say or no, and an
awareness of their corresponding responsibilities within the household, school and
community
 provide a foundation for understanding their own and others’ faiths

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

1
4. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Inclusive Education is the right of every learner and promotes participation in, or access to,
the full range of educational programs and services offered by the education system in
mainstream schools. It is based on the principle of supporting and celebrating the diversity
found among ALL learners and removing ALL barriers to learning.
Basic Education prepares the society, as envisaged in Namibia’s Vision 2030, by promoting
inclusivity. Learners experiencing barriers to learning and other individual needs will be
included in a mainstream school and their needs will be attended to through differentiation of
teaching methods and materials as required. Learners, who are so severely impaired that
they cannot benefit from attending inclusive schools, will be provided for according to their
needs in learning support units, resource units or resource schools until such time that they
can join the inclusive school where applicable. The curriculum, teaching methods and
materials are adapted for learners in these institutions.
The learner-centred approach to teaching is highly suitable for learners with special learning
needs since it capitalises on what learners already know and can do, and then assists them
to acquire new knowledge and skills. The Curriculum Framework for Inclusive Education
specifies the competencies which learners with special learning needs should master.
Individual Learning Support Plans (ILSP) should be in place to guide and evaluate the
individual learning process for learners with special learning needs.

Further guidelines on planning for learning and teaching in an inclusive classroom can be
found in the Curriculum Framework for Inclusive Education, 2018. These guidelines will help
to equip ALL learners with knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them succeed in the world
that is increasingly complex, rapidly changing and rich in information and communication
technology.

In working with every theme, issues should be seen from both male and female points of
view and issues boys and girls are concerned about and interested in. Males and females
tend to have different ways of thinking about ethical problems, and they should enrich each
other’s’ thinking by sharing perspectives in class. The syllabus gives biblical examples which
include both strong female roles as well as male characters, and when additional biblical
episodes are selected, positive female role models should be included.

5. LINKS TO OTHER SUBJECTS AND CROSS-CURRICULAR ISSUES

Religious and Moral Education must appeal to the whole person, and the subject can play an
integrating role at each phase of development. Religion normally includes cultural and moral
values, although it is not the only ground for such values. In this syllabus, these are
especially clear in the themes of personal and social values and of human rights and
democracy. Many of the themes and topics relate to issues in environmental studies, and
arts activities are used extensively. Religious and Moral Education contributes to
environmental learning and in this way provides for every learner an understanding of
religious explanations of our place in the environment: who we are, why we are here, how
the world has come into being, and our responsibility towards the environment. Religious
and Moral Education is a subject where some of the more difficult issues such as reactions
to and feelings about HIV and AIDS can be given time to be dealt with through discussion,
role-play, and art work.

Cross-curricular issues include Environmental Learning; HIV and AIDS; Population

Education; Education for Human Rights and Democracy (EHRD); Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), and Road Safety. These have been introduced to the
formal curriculum because each of the issues deals with particular risks and challenges in
our Namibian society.

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

2
 All of our learners need to:
 understand the nature of these risks and challenges
 understand the impact of these issues on our society
 understand how these risks and challenges can be addressed in their local settings

The main risks and challenges have been identified as:

 caring for and managing our natural resources

 the consequences of HIV and AIDS
 health problems associated with pollution, poor sanitation and waste
 social instability caused by inequity and governance that ignores rights and responsibilities
 poor compliance to road safety measures
 globalisation issues

Some subjects are more suitable to deal with specific cross-curricular issues. In this syllabus
there are more examples of other links to cross-curricular issues, but only one example for
each cross-curricular issue is provided below:

Environmental EHRD HIV and Population Road Safety

Learning AIDS Education
Grade 1: Grades 1-3 Grades 1-3 Grade 2 Grade 3

Caring for the The right to How to Customs, Making correct

environment religious interact with beliefs and decisions
freedom and people who values of when riding
choice have AIDS different groups bikes, e.g.,
in Namibia being sensible;
following the
road rules

6. APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

The approach to teaching and learning is based on a paradigm of Learner-Centred
Education (LCE) described in ministerial policy documents and the LCE conceptual
framework. This approach ensures optimal quality of learning when the principles are put
into practice. Furthermore, the thematic/integrated approach remains a focal point of Junior
Primary teaching and learning.

The aim is to develop learning with understanding, and the knowledge, skills and attitudes to
contribute to the development of society. Each learner brings to the school a wealth of
knowledge and social experience gained continually from the family, the community, and
through interaction with the environment. Learning in school must involve, build on, extend
and challenge the learner’s prior knowledge and experience.

Learners learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process through a high
degree of participation, contribution and production. Each learner is an individual with his/her
own needs, pace of learning, experiences and abilities. The teacher must be able to cater to
the needs of the learners, and shape learning experiences accordingly. Teaching strategies
must be varied but flexible within well-structured sequences of lessons.

The teacher must decide, in relation to the learning objectives and competencies to be
achieved, when it is best to convey RME content explicitly; when it is best to let learners
discover or explore information for themselves; when they need reinforcement or enrichment
learning; when there is a particular progression of skills or information that needs to be

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

3
followed; or when the learners should be encouraged to find their own way through a topic or
area of content.

Working in groups, in pairs, individually, or as a whole class during religious must, therefore,
be organised and focussed. Co-operative and collaborative RME learning should be
encouraged wherever possible. For example, in RME there may be many strategies to apply
and learners working in groups will learn from each other. Importantly, tasks must be
meaningful so that learners can see the relevance. As learners develop personal, social and
communication skills, they can gradually be given responsibility to participate in planning and
evaluating their work, under the teacher’s guidance.

Some parents expect RME to do the work of home-based religious and moral teaching, but
Namibia is a secular state, and the state school system is not religion-based. Experience
also shows that using school to try and make learners more (or less) religious does not work.
RME in a secular school contributes to the development of the learner by providing a better
understanding of religion and religions. If it is done conscientiously in developing enquiring
minds and positive values, it will enable the learners to recognize and appreciate the
importance of their home beliefs and practices for themselves, and how they relate to those
of others.

Religious beliefs provide a means of understanding and dealing with things beyond our
rational understanding, such as creation, birth, life, suffering, and death. RME lessons
should be used to take up these wider questions as the learners raise them, as well as
questions the learners have about moral and ethical issues such as fair play, justice,
friendship, loyalty, rich and poor, growing up, truth and lies, etc. Plenty of time must be given
to discussing the learners’ questions about such things, what their fears and questions are,
and especially to build hope and confidence to lead a positive and meaningful life.

7. END OF PHASE COMPETENCIES

On entry to Grade 1 in the Junior Primary phase, all learners will have acquired some
competence in religious knowledge from their home environment. The first five weeks of
Grade 1 should be dedicated to school readiness activities.

On completing Grade 3 Religious and Moral Education in the Junior Primary phase, learners
are expected to be able to:

7.1 Belonging
Explain why people belong to a particular community and realise that resources of a
community depend on the people

7.2 Phases of life

Explain why people hold particular customs, beliefs and attitudes and what is like or not like
to belong to a faith community

7.3 The sacred

Use texts, music and arts to convey sacred meaning

7.4 Festivals
Explore ideas linked to festive seasons and explain why religious festivals have special
meanings

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

4
7.5 Social values
Develop an interest in religious and moral issues in a spirit of tolerance and respect for
others. Learners demonstrate their social responsibilities as members of a democratic
society

7.6 Religion and the environment

Appreciate the beauty of and our dependence on nature.

7.7 Personal values

Explain the importance of friendships and demonstrate how to be a good friend.

7.8 Children’s rights and responsibilities

Describe their rights and responsibilities at home and at school, and demonstrate how to say
‘no’ to unwelcome attention and ‘touching’ from others.

7.9 Topic of own choice

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

5
8. SUMMARY OF THE LEARNING CONTENT

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3

1. BELONGING
Self and the community Families in harmony and Community the community a
conflict resource
2. PHASES OF LIFE
Being accepted into the Elders and ancestors Growing up: New
community responsibilities at adolescence
3. THE SACRED
Sacred places and objects Sacred time: Special times in Texts, music and art: sacred
our lives, sacred time texts
4. FESTIVALS
Joyful celebrations: Advent Passover and Easter African traditions and religion
and Christmas Palm Sunday and Holy Week
5. SOCIAL VALUES
Living together: Forgiveness and Democracy: making our own
Interrelationships reconciliation rules by majority decision, and
following them
6. RELIGION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The world around us: what is Where our food comes from; Trees in religious traditions
there around us The beauty of nature

7. PERSONAL VALUES

Change, loss and growth; Being at peace together Friendship in everyday life
Being at peace with oneself;
Turning point in life
8. CHILDREN’S RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITIES

My basic rights and Rights and responsibilities in The right to say No: Training in
responsibilities the home assertiveness
Rights and responsibilities at
school
9. TOPIC OF OWN CHOICE

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

6
9. LEARNING CONTENT

Grade 1 learners should be exposed to at least five weeks of readiness activities in Semester 1 before formal learning starts. Refer to the
document, A School Readiness/Preparatory Programme (5 weeks), published by NIED in 2023.

GRADE 1
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

1. BELONGING Self and the community  appreciate being cared for as the basis of  discuss and recount why they are valued,
becoming oneself how others show it to them, how they can
show it to others
- draw, and role-play how they are cared
for at home and at school
- mime/dramatise biblical stories about
caring (the lilies of the field, let the little
children come to me...) and healing
(Jairus’ daughter); the baby Moses in
the reeds: his mother, sister and
Pharaoh’s daughter
2. PHASES OF Being accepted into a  understand how different communities  realise why ceremonies are important e.g.
LIFE community: welcoming a baby welcome a new baby welcoming a baby
- draw or describe a baptism ceremony;
repeat the words used for baptism and
find out what they mean
- why water is used in Christian
baptisms
- talk about the importance of
godparents
- compare with other ceremonies

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

7
 GRADE 1
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
 Learners will Learners should be able to:

3. THE SACRED  Sacred places and objects  understand that a place, or sometimes an  identify a place or object that is special in a
object, can have meaning for an individual religious or cultural sense
or group - what makes home and school special
for them
- identify/draw places or objects that
have special meaning (a tree, holy
book, holy fire, church, tomb, and why
they sacred)
4. FESTIVALS  Joyful celebrations: Advent  understand why Christmas/religious  discuss and respond to the Christmas
and Christmas festivals have special meanings story/religious festivals.
- make an Advent calendar
- listen to the Advent and Christmas
story; draw; dramatise
- sing Christmas carols and songs;
make Christmas cards; discuss
Christmas celebrations in their family or
community
- compare with other festivals, birthdays
and other celebrations

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

8
 GRADE 1
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:
5. SOCIAL  Living together:  appreciate that positive values and actions  identify and discuss why caring is
VALUES Interrelationships bind us together important for everybody
- demonstrate socially accepted manners
- practice formal/informal greetings in
different cultures
- draw/dramatise how we show care for
each other, the sick, disabled and
elderly people
- how to look after pets and domestic
animals; how animals can help people,
- when to give clothes, food, to the needy
- what the learners can do to help
- why and when to give and receive
presents
6. RELIGION AND The world around us: what is  appreciate the natural and the man-made  explain the differences between man-
THE around us? world made and natural features and state
ENVIRONMENT simply what they believe about creation
- observe the sky in different directions
from a view point and describe what
they see
- identify what is man-made and
what is not and how the natural world
came into being
- listen to the biblical creation story and
other creation stories and draw
illustrations

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

9
 GRADE 1
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

7. PERSONAL Change, loss and growth,  value inner peace;  recount/recall a time when they felt happy
VALUES Being at peace with oneself  appreciate that life is a process of change and satisfied
and - tell/draw situations where they feel
 Turning point in life happy, when they are quiet or alone,
rest quietly while listening to a music or
a story
- listen to stories about poverty, sickness
and death
- talk about growth of a plant seed or
insect e.g. caterpillar, as it changes,
and draw the stages of development
- talk about the new life which they have
seen; how plants and animals die, the
difference to our lives when people die
8. CHILDREN’S  My basic rights and  understand basic children’s rights  Identify and discuss their basic rights and
RIGHT AND responsibilities responsibilities
RESPONSIBILI- - the right to a name; family;
TIES nationalities; education; freedom from
work
- talk about their responsibilities at home
and school

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

10
 Grade 1
TOPIC  SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

9. TOPIC OF OWN  share different points of views  express their own views and relate to
CHOICE others’ points of view about the topic, e.g.
- choose topics together as relevant for
the class

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

11
 GRADE 2
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

1. BELONGING Families in harmony and in  appreciate the interdependence of family  discuss and demonstrate how member of
conflict members a family can help each other
- how members of the family interact,
and what each one does for others
- how they solve family conflicts if any
- compare both sides of a family dilemma
and feelings involved
2. PHASES OF Elders and ancestors  understand how older people and younger  explain, in a simple and respectful way,
LIFE people can help each other similarities and differences between their
own and others’ values in relation to elders
and ancestors
- tell about advises they get from older
people and how
- tell how they help older people
3. THE SACRED  Sacred time: Special times in  Understand that sacred time has religious  discuss weekly and annual times of
our lives and sacred time meaning worship in their religion and how they
honour them
- use stories about how different people
value their time: e.g. birthdays, national
days
- times of community prayer and worship
and major religious festivals in their
faiths represented in the class
- the idea of eternity in faiths

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

12
 GRADE 2
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

4. FESTIVALS Passover and Easter  understand the Easter massage of  retell the Passover or select topic of their
sacrifice for others leading to the triumph own
or overcoming of obstacles - listen to the Exodus story mime with
improvised music/draw episodes, e.g.
the crossing of the Sea of Reeds
- retell the Passover
- listen to an outline of the resurrection
story and appearances of Jesus; why
Jesus is called the Lamb of God
- create art activities for Easter
5. SOCIAL Forgiveness and reconciliation  appreciate the importance of forgiveness  explain why forgiveness and reconciliation
VALUES and reconciliation are important
- recall, tell and role-play their everyday
situations they experience where
someone is wronged; try alternative
solutions to resolve the conflict
compare the parables of the unmerciful
servant and the prodigal son the
feelings and wishes involved
 recite/hear the Lord’s Prayer
- emphasise at the section of forgiveness

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

13
 GRADE 2
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

6. RELIGION AND Where our food come from  understand our dependency on the  identify and discuss why we should care
THE environment for the environment
ENVIRONMENT The beauty of nature - in groups list different types of staple
food and where it comes from
- outline the process of food from harvest
or collection until to the stage to be
eaten
- harvest festivals/ sing/listen to harvest
hymns
- recite different prayers said before and
after meals and write own prayers
 describe some of the beautiful things in
nature
- in pairs, observe closely a small natural
object (flower, leaf, shell, stone) and
discuss the colours, texture and shape
7. PERSONAL  Being at peace together  realise the value of peace-making  discuss how they experience peace
VALUES - role-play everyday situations about
resolving quarrels or fights
- ask elders how peace was made after
Independence
- listen to Matthew 5:23-24,
- compare the passage with the Muslim
practice of going to the mosque to pray
 talk about how to avoid conflicts

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

14
 GRADE 2
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
 Learners will Learners should be able to:

8. CHILDREN’S Rights and responsibilities in  understand that rights at home and at  describe what they can do to fulfil their
RIGHT AND the house school involve responsibilities and responsibilities equitably at home
RESPONSIBILI- Rights and responsibilities at important - in groups, mime household tasks, if
TIES school boys do less than girls; that means
children in different homes have
different ways of helping; rights and
responsibilities for everyone
 discuss acceptable manners
- role-play school situations contrasting
learners abusing their rights by not
being responsible and learners living up
to their rights by being responsible
9. TOPIC OF OWN  share different points of views  express their own views and relate to
CHOICE others’ points of view about the topic, e.g.
- choose topics together as relevant for
the class

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

15
 GRADE 3
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

1. BELONGING Community: The community  realise that the resources and support of a  describe the basic functions of a religious
as a resource community depend on each other leader in the community, and other
members who contribute to the wellbeing
of the community
- find out who gives practical help in the
local community e.g. who helps at times
of religious ceremonies (services,
weddings funerals)
- identify and list the different roles in a
worshipping community (singing,
preaching, cleaning the building,
teaching, counselling, visiting)
 make a wall display of activities
2. PHASES OF Growing up: New  realise that responsibilities increase as one  compare responsibilities held by family
LIFE responsibilities at adolescence gets older members of different age groups
- find out about traditional and religious
rituals connected with growing up

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

16
 GRADE 3
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

3. THE SACRED  Texts, music and art: sacred  understand that for believers, sacred texts  identify which sacred books belong to
texts are divinely inspired, religious music which religion
conveys messages and art as a mean of - find what the Bible, the Torah and the
conveying religious message Qur’an are; why they are different from
other books, how they are kept and
revered
 participate in singing/reciting a religious
song or hymn
- listen to/sing traditional or modern
songs with different moods – joy,
reverence
 identify which symbols belong to which
religion
- draw religious symbols and explain
what they mean
 identify which symbols belong to which
religion, e.g. draw religious symbols for
Judaism (Star of David, the seven-armed
candlestick); Islam (the crescent moon;
Christianity (the cross, the dove, the fish,
bread, wine); explain what they mean

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

17
 GRADE 3
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

4. FESTIVALS African traditions and religion  appreciate the African context for religion  explain three religious’ observances in an
 Palm Sunday and Holy Week in Namibia; African tradition
 understand through the example of Jesus - find out about African traditional
that religious reformers often provoke ceremonies and festivals
existing authorities  retell the main events leading up to the
condemnation of Jesus
- listen to the outline of events leading up
to the arrest and condemnation of
Jesus to be crucified
- dramatize/draw episodes of why
religious leaders of the time wanted
Jesus crucified
 participate in singing/reciting a religious
song or hymn
- listen to/sing traditional or modern
songs with different moods – joy,
reverence
5. SOCIAL  Democracy: making our own  understand that agreed rules are a social  explain why it is important for all involved
VALUES rules by majority decision, and contract to agree on rules
following them - play a game with rules
and tell what happens when someone
breaks a rule when playing a game
- occasions when a group/the class
made a decision and the minority
agreed to respect it
- ask parents/elders how conflicts are
resolved in the community

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

18
 GRADE 3
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:
6. RELIGION AND Trees in religious traditions  understand that nature should be - retell a story to explain how trees have
THE appreciated; special meaning
ENVIRONMENT  appreciate that trees can have special - tell ways in which trees are important
meaning and pleasant
- listen to/retell an African story in which
a tree is important (a creation story); a
Bible story involving a tree, e.g. the tree
of knowledge; the tree of life; the tree
Gautama sat under the tree when he
was enlightened;
- dramatise/draw one of the stories
- write short stories about special plants
or tress in their lives
7. PERSONAL  Friendship in everyday life  understand that each party must contribute  brainstorm together about good and bad
VALUES to friendship types of friendship
 write friendly notes to their friends
 write a note to self about how they want to
be good to others

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

19
 GRADE 3
TOPIC SUB-TOPIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES COMPETENCIES
Learners will Learners should be able to:

8. CHILDREN’S  The right to say No: Training  demonstrate how to be assertive in  discuss how to be assertive by refusing
RIGHT AND in assertiveness threatening situations negative touching, bad treatment and
RESPONSIBILIT abuse
IES - mime animal characters being
aggressive/submissive
- role-play everyday situations of
aggression/submission
- replay, changing from submissive to
assertive behaviour
- role-play how to change from
submissive to assertive behaviour in
reacting to negative touching
 design a poster showing good and bad
behaviours
9. TOPIC OF OWN  share different points of views  express their own views and relate to
CHOICE others’ points of view about the topic, e.g.
- choose topics together as relevant for
the class

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

20
10. ASSESSMENT

In order to capture the full range and levels of competence, a variety of continuous assessment
situations is needed in Junior Primary to give a complete picture of the learner’s progress and
achievements. Continuous assessment (CA) must be clear, simple and manageable, and explicitly
anchored in learner-centred principles and practice.

The competencies in the syllabus state the understandings and skills a learner must demonstr ate,
and which will be assessed. However, it is intended that the syllabus be learning-driven, not
assessment-driven.

10 .1 Purpose of Assessment
The purpose of CA is to elicit reliable and valid information of the learner’s performance in the
competencies. This information should be used to give feedback to the learners about their
strengths and weaknesses, where they are doing well, and where and how they need to improve.
Parents should be regularly informed via a formal school report about the progress of their learners.
They should be encouraged to reward achievements and support their learners’ education.

Continuous assessment also helps teachers improve their teaching and provide a better learning
experience for learners. The focus should be seen as assessment for learning rather than
assessment of learning. We assess to get a reliable profile of each learner’s achievement of the
competencies in order to inform further teaching/learning, conduct learning support and evaluate
own teaching processes.

10 .2 Types of Assessment
Informal Assessment Methods: The teacher must assess how well each learner masters the
competencies described in the RME syllabus and from this, gain a picture of the learner’s progress.
To a large extent, this can be done in an informal way through observation of each learner’s
progress in learning and practice situations while they are investigating, interpreting phenomena
and data, applying knowledge, communicating, making value judgements, and in their participation
in general.

This means observing a learner's performance for assessment purposes as we teach and record
what we see. The teachers observe all the learners during the course of Religious and Moral
Education lessons. They notice who is paying attention and who is not, who is able to work
independently and who struggles when working on their own. By asking questions, they determine
who has understood RME concepts and who has not. By monitoring activities, they can note who
can complete the task and apply religious knowledge, and who cannot. The learners’ participation,
involvement and contributions to group work are also observed.

Formal Assessment Methods: This involves setting up assessment situations such quizzes, short
tests, oral tests and worksheets. Worksheets are very useful and can be presented either on the
chalkboard or on paper. It is very important that teachers organise and plan in order to assess the
learners and give marks which is then converted to ten (10).

The use of formal written and oral tests can only assess a limited range of competencies and
therefore should not take up a great deal of time. Short tests in should be conducted within a part
of a Religious and Moral Education period and should be viewed as a usual Religious and Moral
Education activity.

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

21
10 .3 Grade Descriptors
The learner’s level of achievement in relation to the competencies in the Religious and Moral
Education syllabus is shown in letter grades. When letter grades are awarded, it is essential that
they reflect the learner’s actual level of achievement in relation to the competencies. In Grades 1 to
3, letter grades are related to percentages. The relation between the grades awarded and
competencies is shown below.

Grade Range Grade Descriptors

%

A 80%+ Achieved competencies exceptionally well. The learner is

outstanding in all areas of competency.
B 70-79% Achieved competencies very well. The learner’s achievement
lies substantially above average requirements and is highly
proficient in most areas of competency.
C 60-69% Achieved competencies well. The learner has mastered the
competencies satisfactorily in unknown situations and contexts.
D 50-59% Achieved competencies satisfactorily. The learner’s
achievement corresponds to average requirements. The learner
may be in need of learning support in some areas.
E 40-49% Achieved the minimum number of competencies to be
considered competent. The learner may not have achieved all
the competencies, but the learner’s achievement is sufficient to
exceed the minimum competency level. The learner is in need of
learning support in most areas.
U 0-39% Ungraded. The learner has not been able to reach a minimum
level of competency, even with extensive help from the teacher.
The learner is seriously in need of learning support.

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

22
10.4 Detailed Guidelines for Continuous Assessment
Assessment must be part of the lesson planning and clear assessment criteria must be set.
During lessons and while learners are carrying out normal classroom activities, the teacher
conducts informal and formal continuous assessments for all the various competencies and
skills in all the subjects. In the Junior Primary Phase, assessment is criterion-referenced.
This means that, when points or letter grades are awarded, it is essential that they reflect the
learner's actual level of achievement in relation to the competencies.

10 .4.1 Informal Continuous Assessment

Informal Continuous Assessment is conducted through careful observation and written
notes. This means that, while learners are engaged in lesson activities, the teacher records
on class list observations about achievements or difficulties. These notes or comments will
guide future lesson planning, learning support requirements and how to allocate marks for
Formal Continuous Assessment. It is not necessary to write a comment or note for every
competency - a tick may be all that is needed to show that a learner has acquired a skill.
However, written evidence is required when a learner is struggling and needs further
support.

10 .4.2 Formal Continuous Assessment

Formal Continuous Assessment is normally done after the conclusion of a theme or when a
particular concept requires assessing before a new concept is introduced. Teachers may
give several short written or oral tests or quizzes spread over the term. For these the teacher
allocates marks according to the 10- point scale.

Of the many assessments conducted within the term only one formal assessment will be
recorded. This assessment is to be done during normal classes. This means that NO Junior
Primary learners in Grades 1 to 3 classes will have a "test week" or a "test time table" during
which learners study for tests.

Formal assessments marks are recorded on the Continuous Assessment Record Forms. At
the end of the term the marks for each subject are added in the “Total” column. The
“Average” is the sum of the “Total” marks divided by the number of formal assessments
given and the decimal fraction must be indicated, e.g., 3.2. The “Average” mark is then
rounded and converted into a Grade as indicated in 10.3.

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

23
ANNEXE 1: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

NB The meanings given here apply to the word in the context of this syllabus only and not
necessarily to any other context

Term Meaning
Affective relating to feelings and emotions

Assertive making your will or presence felt

Ceremony a formal activity in observation of an event

Competencies measurable skills that are regarded as essential in

order to perform a task or meet a standard

Continuous assessment measurement of students' progress based on work they

do within the classroom or tests/quizzes they take
throughout the term or year, rather than on a single
examination
Cross-curricular issues matters concerning knowledge, skills, concepts and
values that can be applied to more than one subject or
area of learning

Diversity
ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender
variety, in a group, society, or institution

Ecumenical what is unifying between Christian denominations

Ethical based on correct behaviour

Fasting going without food or drink, partially, selectively or

entirely, for a time

Globalisation worldwide integration and development as a result of

improved technology and communication; sometimes
results in loss of individual cultural identities

Inclusivity the act of including everybody

Integrated a combination of parts or objects that work together well
Learning standards written statements of what learners should know and be
able to do as a result of their education at the end of a
period of time, e.g. at the end of Lower Primary. They
are also called “Content Standards”. Learning standards
describe what teachers are supposed to teach and what
learners are supposed to learn

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

24
Mainstream schools schools that principally meet the needs of learners who
do not have special educational needs. Any school
which is not a special school

Moral about the difference between good and bad, right and
wrong

Multi-cultural different cultures/involving various cultures

Reverence feeling of deep respect for someone or something
Ritual customary religious or secular ceremony
Sacred set apart or with special meaning for a religious purpose
and usually not questioned

School Readiness/Preparatory a programme devised for Grade 1 Namibian learners in

Programme recognition that many learners have not acquired school
readiness before they start school. It is designed to
help learners grasp those concepts and skills that are
necessary for more formal learning

Secular non-religious

Submissive giving in, tending towards serving or obeying without

questioning

Symbol an object or image representing a deeper meaning

Thematic links connections to similar ideas or topics in other subject

areas

Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023

25
The National Institute for Educational Development
Private Bag 2034
Okahandja
NAMIBIA

Telephone: +264 62 509000

Facsimile: +264 62 509073

E-mail: info@[Link]
Website: [Link]
Religious and Moral Education Syllabus, Grade 1-3, NIED 2023
27