Uniformity and diversity in religious education in Northern Ireland

This paper considers the tension that can exist in the aims of religious education between the desire to encourage open-minded, critical thinking through exposure to diverse traditions, ideas and cultures and the encouragement, overt or otherwise, into uniformity whereby learners take on the values of a particular tradition, culture or ideology (say of a religion, family or school). The particular situation of teaching religious education to post-primary school pupils in Northern Ireland is considered, and evidence cited to suggest that the Northern Ireland Core Syllabus in Religious Education has tried to impose a particular non-denominational Christian uniformity on pupils and teachers through its use of religious language. This has contributed to a culture of 'avoidance' in relation to the teaching of broad Christian diversity. The article concludes that there is a need for an ongoing and meaningful dialogue to discover what kind of balance between uniformity and diversity is best in teaching religious education in Northern Ireland, and notes that this also requires the reassessment of fundamental issues such as the aims of education and the relationship between secular and religious values in publicly funded schools. © 2004 Christian Education.

What is being taught in Religious Education classes in Northern Ireland and to what extent should states be concerned about regulation, quality and control of the subject?

This paper reports on a research project designed to discover what schools are teaching in Religious Education in Northern Ireland and what procedures are in place to maintain standards in the delivery of the subject. A search through literature shows that little research has been carried out to determine what is being taught in Religious Education in Northern Ireland. It also indicates that there are very weak systems of control to measure the effectiveness or quality of what is delivered. A survey of the websites of all Post-Primary schools in the region was used to provide some answers to the basic question of what is being taught in RE. Using content and discourse analysis of these alongside supporting documentary sources (textbooks and exam specifications), it is possible to get a clearer picture of how the Northern Ireland Core Syllabus for Religious Education and any additional curricular elements are delivered in schools. The findings show that a significant minority of schools do not publicly articulate what pupils do in religious education. In situations where the content of religious education is made clear, some definite trends are evident. Despite the existence of a statutory core syllabus, there is significant variation in what is taught in schools. The content is most divergent from the syllabus in relation to the teaching of World Religions at Key Stage 3 and at Key Stage 4 whole elements of the syllabus are neglected due to limited conformity between the syllabus and exam specifications. These results raise important questions about the systems of regulation and control of the subject in the region. In law the subject is exempt from formal inspection by the local inspection authority; instead, a form of inspection is allowed for by the Christian churches who design the syllabus, but it is a process that is either entirely neglected or entirely unreported in situations where it does occur. It is argued that these findings raise questions of more general concern for this and other regions in Europe where the teaching of religious education is largely unregulated. For example, to what extent should states take an interest in what is taught in religious education, how it is delivered, what values it promotes and how standards of teaching and learning in the subject are upheld?

Prospects and Problems for Religious Education in England, 1967-1970: Curriculum Reform in Political Context

This article provides an historical case study of an abortive attempt to revise policy and legislation relating to Religious Education (RE) in English schools in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Drawing upon published sources, including parliamentary debates, as well as previously unutilised national archival sources from the Department of Education and Science, it comments upon events which have hitherto been omitted from the historiography of RE, but which help to contextualise significant changes in RE theory and practice at that time. Moreover, it demonstrates that the current parlous state of RE in schools is in part the result of latent and longstanding issues and problems, rather than a consequence of present-day government policy alone. Therefore, in reviewing and developing RE policies and practices, all stakeholders are urged to look more closely at both changes and continuities in the subject’s past and the contexts in which they occurred.

Learning to teach religious education in the secondary school : a companion to school experience.

Es un recurso actualizado al nuevo plan de estudios inglés que ayuda tanto a los estudiantes que se están formando a enseñar educación religiosa como a los profesores con experiencia que han optado por asumir la responsabilidad de impartir esta materia en la escuela secundaria, en la etapa 3 (KS3) a alumnos de catorce a diecinueve años. Incluye temas como el lugar de la educación religiosa en el currículo; desarrollo de programas de estudio; lenguaje y alfabetización religiosa, enseñanza de la religión en la etapa 4 (KS4); la educación religiosa y la educación moral; el culto colectivo; educación religiosa y ciudadanía; recursos para educación religiosa y enseñanza a niños con necesidades educativas especiales.

Religious education : a conceptual and interdisciplinary approach for secondary level.

El libro analiza los debates surgidos entorno a la enseñanza de la religión y plantea un nuevo enfoque en la educación de la religión no basado en la fe y que se centra en los factores conceptuales y en el desarrollo de una pedagogía clara. El libro se basa en el modelo de aprendizaje 'Living Difference' desarrollado en Hampshire y adoptado en diferentes partes del Reino Unido. Proporciona la base para el desarrollo del pensamiento sobre la enseñanza de la religión, su lugar en el currículo educativo y cómo se puede implantar eficazmente en las escuelas.

Citizenship through religious education.

Cumple con todos los requisitos exigidos por el curriculum nacional inglés de 2009 para la materia de Ciudadanía en el primer ciclo de secundaria (KS3). El libro trata de responder a estas y otras cuestiones: ¿Cómo impacta la religión en la vida del Reino Unido hoy? ¿Qué lugar hay para la religión en la vida pública de la nación hoy? ¿Debería la ley favorecer una religión sobre otras? ¿Qué deberían enseñar las escuelas sobre religión? ¿Qué dice la ley sobre discriminación religiosa en el trabajo?.