Public Education about Religious Diversity: The Context for the Council of Europe project on

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Public Education about Religious Diversity The
Context for the Council of Europe project on
Intercultural Education and the Challenge of
Religious Diversity and Dialogue in Europe
Robert Jackson Warwick Religions and Education
Research Unit 1st Regional Debate on The
religious dimension of intercultural
education Athens, Greece, 8- 9 October 2007

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Summary

• Global Context
• Policy Development
• Pedagogy and Practice
• Conclusions

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Global Context

• Negative events global, regional and local
• September 11, 2001 in USA
• Afghanistan and Iraq wars/occupations
• Bali, Casablanca, Jakarta, Istanbul, Madrid,
  London, Mumbai etc
• Inter and intra religious conflicts globally
• European issues Civil disorder in N. UK towns in
  2001 and France in late 2005 The Cartoons
  affair 2006 Denmark etc
• Positive social capital eg Desmond Tutu,
  Dalai Lama, religiously based movements for peace
  and justice, interfaith networks etc

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Habermas Religion in the Public Sphere

• In the formal public/political sphere
  (parliaments, courts, ministries etc), political
  institutions should remain neutral with regard to
  religion
• The (informal) public/political sphere is the
  setting for communication between religious and
  non-religious people
• secular people can learn something about values
  from religious people
• Some religious people might learn to re-express
  their language in the context of late modernity
• Religious and secular people might focus together
  on common values issues (eg the environment)

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Policy

• Types of RE in European Public Schools
• Educating into religion
• a single tradition is taught by insiders
• Educating about religion
• religion is taught from a descriptive and
  historical perspective
• Educating from religion
• students consider different responses to
  religious, existential and moral issues

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Diversity of Policy for Education in/about
Religions Contextual Factors

• Historical tradition
• history of Church/State relations
• the nature and degree of multiculturalism in
  society
• Geographical position
• Socio-political/economic systems
• International/global influences

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International Institutions and the study of
religions in schools

• UN
• Alliance of Civilizations Religious leaders,
  education policymakers, and interfaith civic
  organizations should work together to develop
  consensus guidelines for teaching about
  religions (HLG Report 2006)
• UNESCO
• Delors report (1996) learning to know, to do,
  to live together and to be developing an
  understanding of others and their history,
  traditions and spiritual values

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European Institutions and the study of religions
in schools

• EU (27 states)
• European Council (heads of state and the
  president of the EC) - teaching materials
  reflecting Europes cultural, ethnic and
  religious diversity to combat racism
• EC REDCo Project religion, education, dialogue
  conflict 9 European universities 2006-2009
• Council of Europe (47 states)
• Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
  Europe (OSCE) (56 states)

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Council of Europe Projects

• Intercultural Education and the Challenge of
  Religious Diversity and Dialogue 2002-2007 (DG
  IV) Ministerial Policy Declaration September
  2007 book in English 2007 French Russian
  translations 2008
• Interfaith Dialogue and Human Rights 2000-2006
  (ongoing) (Malta 2004 Kazan 2006 Commissioner
  for Human Rights)
• Move towards a European Centre for Human Rights
  and Citizenship Education, including religion
  (2006 onwards)

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Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE)

• Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about
  Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools 2007
• to contribute to an improved understanding of
  the worlds increasing religious diversity and
  the growing presence of religion in the public
  sphere
• to assist OSCE participating States in promoting
  the study and knowledge about religions and
  beliefs in schoolsas a tool to enhance religious
  freedom and increase tolerance

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Pedagogy Practice

• Different national traditions influence views of
  learning and teaching
• childhood and autonomy
• the role of the teacher
• Example the interpretive approach
• hermeneutical and contextual
• Stimulus for textbooks, action research in
  schools, pedagogy and method in the REDCo project

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The Interpretive Approach

• Representation of religions, showing their
  diversity
• individuals, groups, traditions
• Interpretation
• comparing and contrasting familiar and
  unfamiliar concepts
• Reflexivity
• Students relating learning to their own concerns
• constructive criticism at a distance
• critique of study methods used
• Start anywhere with examples/pupils...

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Conclusions

• Ideals for RE, TaRB, the religious dimension
  of intercultural education in Public Education
• To cultivate public knowledge and understanding
  of religion(s)
• Inclusion maximum participation without
  compromising beliefs
• RE should presuppose
• Freedom of religion or belief
• Tolerance of the beliefs of others
• Civilised dialogue reasoned discussion
• Reflexivity issues of truth and meaning
  exploration of existential issues development of
  ones own stance

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RE and Interdisciplinary Studies

• RE, TaRB, the religious dimension of
  intercultural education can contribute to or
  collaborate with other fields
• Citizenship education
• Intercultural education
• Human rights education
• Global/world affairs education
• Peace education
• School ethos, procedures, governance,
  relationships (internal/external)
• ButThere is a need for specialists in the
  science of religions/religious studies