International Comparative Perspectives on Religion and Education

Corene de Wet, Charl C. Wolhuter

Description

This book scrutinises religion in education in ten countries. It reveals much about the tension between religion and education in secular countries, and the blending between religion and education in religious countries, such as Iran and Malaysia, as well as secular countries such as the Netherlands. It also shows the important role the church currently plays in education in developing countries, such as Tanzania.

Sujets

• Littérature Sud-Africaine
• Littérature sud-africaine
• Éducation
• Mondialisation
• Religion
• Education
• Globalization
• Multiculturalism
• Multiculturalismo
• Multicultural

Informations

• Publié par: UJ Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781920382384
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON RELIGION & EDUCATION

Charl Wolhuter & Corene de Wet Editors

INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ONRELIGION & EDUCATION

CHARL WOLHUTER & CORENE DE WET EDITORS

International Comparative Perspectives on Religion and Education

Charl Wolhuter & Corene de Wet (Editors)

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First edition 2014

ISBN: 978-1-920382-37-7 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-920382-38-4 (e-book) DOI: https://doi.org/10.18820/9781920382384

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Table of Contents

Religion in education: an international perspective Corene de Wet ..........................................................................................................

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Education and religion in Israel: Blurring the boundaries of “secular” and “religious” Yotam Hotam & Philip Wexler ................................................................................. 9 Central effects of religious education in Armenia from Ancient Times to Post-Soviet Armenia Shelly Terzian ............................................................................................................ 27 The contribution of religious institutions to the development of secular education in Tanzania: The case of Pentecostal churches in the Dar es Salaam region William A.L. Anangisye & Augustino D. Mligo .......................................................... 53 Religion and education in the United States Ralph D. Mawdsley ................................................................................................... 75 Education and religion in the Netherlands Bram de Muynck, Siebren Miedema & Ina ter Avest ................................................ 107 Globalisation, multicultural reality, religiouspluralism and religious aspects of intercultural education in preschool and elementary school education through the viewpoint of Greek teachers and parents Maria Sakellariou ...................................7....12................................................................. Power relations in the history of religious education in Brazil: The need to develop Anti-Discriminatory Practices Andreia Lisboa de Sousa ............................................................................................. 147 Religion and education: a South African perspective Flip Louw ................................................................................................................... 171 Religion and education Japanese cases: Latent issues Shin ‘ichi Suzuki ................................................................91.5....................................... Malay is Malay, non-Malay is non-Malay, and never the twain shall meet: A critical analysis of religion and education in Malaysia Seng Piew Loo ............................................................................................................ 235 Education and religion in Iran: An annotated bibliography Shahrzad Kamyab .............................................................................................................. 255

Religion in education: An international perspective

Corene de Wet

School of Open Learning University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

eligion in education has, for a long time, been a controversial subject worldwide. The R interest of academics in the topic may, according to Watson (2010:307), be credited to the awareness that it can lead to divisions between groups and countries, such as between Muslim and so-called Christian countries, but that religion can also be “the glue that holds a society together”.

In nearly every society, before the state began to take responsibility for educational provision during the past century and a half, the earliest forms of schooling were based on religion. This is largely because religious leaders were often the only literate members of society (Watson, 2010:308). In early biblical times, Moses was told to teach the Israelites the laws and decrees of God and “to show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform” (Exod. 18:20). In Deut. 4:9 the Israelites were told to teach their children God’s laws. In their discussion on the blending of education and religion Watson and Ozanne (2010:268) also refer to the fact that Brahmin priests taught the people of ancient India the Vedas and the exploits of the Hindu gods and schools attached to Hindu temples, developed over time. A comparable situation developed in Buddhist countries where reading, writing, memorisation, and crafts, such as carpentry and pottery were taught. In ancient China, Confucianism permeated every aspect of society and led to the tradition of literacy (Watson & Ozanne, 2010:269). In early and mediaeval Islam the mosque (masjid) and thekuttabwere the main sources of education for Arab children (Findlow, 2008:340). Watson and Ozanne (2010:269) furthermore, mention that although the Greek and Romans developed formal schooling, it was not until the Romans embraced Christianity, and its spread across the Roman Empire, that religion, education and politics gradually became intertwined. Watson and Ozanne (2010:269) also point out that the

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INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON RELIGION AND EDUCATION

church was the founder of most formal education throughout Europe, and later by means of the missionary movement, in most of Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia.

Most modern education systems have thus been shaped by the interaction between religion and the state. However, as countries industrialised and modernised, there was a tendency for most of them to become increasingly secularised. In Seng Piew Loo’s contribution to this volume, the author argues that the rise of compulsory mass formal schooling and the Enlightenment led to the reduction of the influence of the Church on education, especially in the first modern republics, the United States of America (USA) and France. One of the important educational reforms after the inception of mass schooling was the secularisation of the curriculum in the aforesaid counties. The power of religion in education can be placed on a continuum: at one end of the continuum is nations such as France and the USA that have excluded all faith-specific subjects in the public school curriculum. In the middle of the range are countries such as the United Kingdom and South Africa, where religious education is part of the curriculum of public schools but is non-proselytising and covers diverse faiths. Further along the opposite end of the continuum, is Malaysia. In this semi-secular state religious education is provided by the state for both Muslim and non- Muslim learners. At the opposite end of the continuum is mostly Muslim countries, such as Iran that have enforced the establishment of state religion and compulsory religious education in public schools, based on a single mainstream faith.

In the subsequent discussion, a review of the chapters will be followed by some concluding thoughts, comments and insights that have hopefully been learnt from the works of academics who have written about religion in their respective countries’ education systems.

Yotam HotamandPhilip Wexler’s chapter traces the roots of education in Israel back to the Zionist worldview that originated in Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and that immediately promoted the first Jewish educational enterprises in contemporary Palestine. According to the authors, public education in Israel (in Hebrew “Chinuch Mamlachti”) was defined as modern, Jewish secular and nationalistic education from its beginning, with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. In Hotam and Wexler’s chapter, the tension between national “religious” and national “secular” schools, as well as the tense relations between national Jewish education and the Ultra-Orthodox and Arabic educational alternatives, is interrogated.

Shelley Terzian’s contribution traces the effects of religious education in Armenia from ancient times to post-Soviet Armenia. She argues that the many political and religious reforms in Armenia led to varying religious influences in public schooling throughout its history. The chapter focuses on the role the Armenian Apostolic Church played in education prior to and after the Soviet Union era. Although the Armenian Apostolic Church is officially recognised as the national church of the post-Soviet Republic of

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Armenia, the role of the Church has been separated from the role of the state by the 1991 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations. The law restricts the active presence of the Church in education; yet the concept of nationhood and the history of the Armenian Church are integrated into the curriculum. Terzian aptly uses citations from interviews to support her argument that the historical influence of Christianity in Armenia defines Armenians.

William A. L. AnangisyeandAugustino D. Mligo’s study looks at the contribution of the Pentecostal churches in the Dar-es-Salaam Region of Tanzania, to the development of secular education in this African country. They report their findings against the background of a historical overview of the role of missionaries in the provision of education during the pre- and colonial era. The authors highlight the important role of churches in the provision of education during the post-colonial era. The churches are, for example, responsible for educating 71 percent of pupils. The authors applaud the government for following an open-door policy, in especially, least served areas.

In the chapter on religion and education in the USA,Ralph D. Mawdsleyaddresses four different basic areas of conflict which have arisen in religion and education; namely, the conflict between parents and public schools; government control of religious schools by various federal and state statutes and regulations; religious expression in public schools; and government aid to public schools from a legal perspective. In this chapter, Mawdsley sets out to explain the influence of the four key federal constitutional provisions on the religion and education conflict: the Liberty Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment; Free Exercise; Free Speech; and the Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment. He argues that the ebb and flow of constitutional interpretation, the relationship between religion and education over the past half century has depended on the constitutional claim being affirmed.

Bram de Muynck, Siebren Miedema andIna ter Avest’s chapter explores the roots of the Dutch tradition of having schools of different (religious) denominations in the school system, while all schools are state-funded. They start by looking back at the origins of the Dutch nation-state in the sixteenth century, in which politics was dominated by protestant Christians. In this section they also present the roots of the so called pillarised system which started in the nineteenth century. Then they summarise the significant changes that took place after the Second World War in the domain of religion and education. Thereafter, they focus on the current changes that we observe in the context of the phenomenon of “religion” and of contemporary demographic changes. In the subsequent section, they give the following five examples of how Dutch schools are dealing with these changes, namely encountering “the other” in interreligious education, responding to multi-culturality in open Christian schools, responding to multi-culturalism in an orthodox Christian school, responding to multi-culturality in an Islam school, and a post-pillarised response to multi-

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culturality and multi-religiosity. Next they place the Dutch position in a European context by summarising research data from a European project, called REDCO. They conclude with some evaluative remarks about the current place of religion in education and the tasks that await the government and the educational system.

Maria Sakellariou’s contribution looks at the evolution of religious education in schools over the years from an extension of religious education of the dominant religious denomination to the current inter-cultural pedagogy and education which entails the analysis and the management of the multiculturalism; and refers to the traditional sides (existence of religious heterogeneity), as well as to modern elements such as the antagonism between different viewpoints and theories. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century there has been an expressed need for incorporating the dimension of a religious polymorphic education into a critical multi-cultural one. Sakellariou’s study interrogates Greek parents and teachers’ views on inter-cultural education in Greek schools, as well as in the society as a whole, and their assessment of the content of the religious education and its contribution to shaping modern emancipated citizens. She argues in favour of the philosophy of the religious dimension of intercultural education, which, according to her, broadens its field and takes into account the different forms of expression and behaviour in school, in the family, in the society; asserting that emphasis that should be placed on developing a critical ability, either accepting or rejecting the facts that form their cultural identity,

Andreia Lisboa de Sousa’s chapter examines the main issues regarding Brazilian legislation on religious education in order to offer an understanding of the role that religious education has played in the history of Brazilian public education. It also discusses religious intolerance in the country and the struggle for ending discrimination against Afro-Brazilian religious traditions. The study shows that the Brazilian educational system and society remains intolerant and points out the need for the development of research into religious education in schools. Moreover, the state, school systems, teachers and school personnel are not well prepared for dealing with religious diversity, pedagogical materials and training, equally.

Lambertus P. Louwgives a survey of the state of Bible Education during the late Apartheid era (before 1994) and the problems encountered with its implementation in public schools in South Africa. The subject had a very low status against other subjects in the school curriculum, teachers were unmotivated, not well trained to teach it, and did not possess the necessary didactical skills to facilitate and enhance learners’ learning. The themes in the curriculum were exclusively based on a Christian Reformed theology, excluding other denominations and religions. After the first democratic elections in 1994, Bible Education was replaced by Religion Education, not as an independent subject, but as themes in the subjects Life Skills in the first six years, and Life Orientation in the last six years of the school curriculum. Louw analyses these curricula and indicates a total overload of themes in the Intermediate Phase for Grades 4 to 6 (10- to 12-year olds), with the topics

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well above the life and experience level of these learners. Very little emphasis is put on religious themes in the Pre-school and Foundation Phases (pre-school, and Grades 1 to 3 for 6- to 9-year olds), Senior Phase (Grades 7 to 9 for 13- to 15-year olds) and the Further Education and Training Phase (Grades 10 to 12 for 16- to 18-year olds). Louw also questions teachers’ academic and professional training regarding religious contents.

Shin ‘ichi Suzuki’s chapter provides an overview of the tension between religion and education in Japan, a country the Constitution of which states that all the citizens are free to choose religious faith. The Fundamental Law of Education (enacted in 1947 and revised in 2006) prohibits all public schools from teaching any particulars regarding specified religious creeds. Nevertheless, the Law ensures that it is important and necessary for all schools to pay due attention to religious sentiments among people and children. By such legal procedures, the State-endorsed Shinto religion was nominally rejected from school education and freedom of religious choice was guaranteed for all the Japanese citizens. Shin ‘ichi Suzuki, however, aptly illustrates how recent affirmation by the Ministry of Education on the worth of traditional culture, the historical background of modern society and respect for everything that is supernatural, has opened the door for embracing religious faith and moral criteria in extracurricular activities. Shin ‘ichi Suzuki nonetheless, cautions that it is extremely difficult to discern between denominational creeds and broad religious sentiments.

Seng Piew Loo’s contribution focuses on Malaysia, a country which tolerates other faiths, but the Constitution of which states that Islam is the national religion of the Federation of Malaysia. Loo’s chapter critically examines the state of the practice of religion and education in Malaysia and analyses the underlying contradictions. In Loo’s discussion of religious education in Malaysia, a semi-secular state, he highlights the influence of Islam, the official religion, on education in this multi-ethnic, multi-religious country. The government, who provides religious education, providesPendidikan Islam (Islamic Studies) as a compulsory subject within the national school system to Muslim pupils according to a government-approved curriculum, but does not provide religious education for non-Muslims according to their different faiths. Instead, all non-Muslims take Pendidikan Moral(Moral Education) as a compulsory school subject that is time-tabled to coincide with Islamic Studies. The subject matter ofPendidikan Moral is based on 10 universal ethical values that are supposedly neutral and not solely based on any one particular faith. Loo believes that the dual carriageway of religious education and moral education in Malaysia divides multi-ethnic Malaysia, instead of helping to facilitate social cohesion. He therefore recommends that the two subjects be scrapped and replaced with a common subject that explores all the religions of Malaysians.

In Iran, there is a symbiotic relationship between religion and education. The two are united and reflect those values deemed important for personal, societal, and cultural

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