spirituality

Religious Education

The question of prayer and religious education at schools is complicated and the situation varies from country. If a school has a religious foundation, what provision should it make for children of other religions? Should religion have any place in a school funded by the government?

This page has an exercise for you, if you wish: see bottom of page

The International Association for Religious Freedom recently produced a booklet on religious education practice in schools in different countries: http://www.iarf-religiousfreedom.net/Publications/publications.htm

The International Interfaith Centre gave a conference on Education for Peaceful Living. Here is an extract from the conference collage:

John Taylor, Switzerland: revealed that the UN has begun to take seriously the idea that religious education could be a fundamental preventative measure to combat the scourge of discrimination and intolerance around the world. The right form of religious education can encourage a culture of respect, understanding and knowledge.
Zymer Salihi, Kosova: reinforced the importance of right religious education to prevent abuse of religion by secular manipulators who, in the Balkans, have taken soldiers into churches to be blessed for killing others. This shows a confusion of race with faith that can only develop when people are ignorant of their own faith traditions. It's easy to destroy mosques and churches but to rebuild and heal takes years.
Jehangir Sarosh, UK: spoke of WCRP's work in the Balkans to create interreligious councils. People need to know their voices are heard. Religions can make a difference. The leaders of the four faith communities in Kosova met daily until the bombing started and made a joint declaration that they wanted to live together in peace and harmony.
Howard Shippin, Israel: told about Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam, an example of racial and religious co-existence in Israel/Palestine. Equality rather than integration is the primary focus, a democratic rather than pluralist model which allows the community residents to maintain separate identities whilst working and cooperating together.... (read more)

At the conference, Pamela (right) graphically showed how education by others robbed her First Nations people of their culture, language, faith and freedom.

Resources for Spirituality in Education online can be found via the link, including a paper given by the Dalai Lama on Education and the Human Heart, extracts of which can be found at: http://csf.colorado.edu/sine/transcript/HHDL.html.

Ingvill Thorson Plesner's paper, a Norwegian perspective, on Religious Education in Pluralistic Societies: Aims and Challenges can be read at: http://folk.uio.no/leirvik/teksster/RE_Geneva_Madrid.htm

Recently the International Interfaith Centre held

Faith Schools and Social Cohesion: An Interfaith Discussion at the House of Lords in London, UK.

Baroness Ashton addressing the audience

What is your experience of religious education? Did you learn about religions in a positive way? Were you part of a secular society which did not encourage religious education? Was your religious education provided primarily by school, home or faith community? Do you think religious education should be left to faith communities or parents and not be taught in schools?

Should religious worship be part of school life? If so, how should it be handled in a school where children from many faiths are taught?

Other web links for religious education resources include:

http://www.refuel.org.uk/school_lea/lea.html

http;//www.nycinterfaith.org/education_transformation.htm

http://education.guardian.co.uk/

http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/interreligious/cd35-00.html