Religious Education, Social Inclusion and Interreligious Literacy in England and Australia
Issued Date: 3 Nov 2014
Abstract
This article examines the contentious nature of religion in relation to questions of interreligious literacy and education. It connects the concept of cultural tolerance to a particular interpretation of ‘religious literacy’ in the education policy environment, and examines religion-related education governance structures. I draw on examples from state-funded Australian government schools, against a backdrop of ‘social inclusion’ policy. First, two different, ideologically based, styles of ‘inclusion’, and their variant styles of governance, will be dened. These two styles can be described as ‘passive’ (economically focused and inherently limited) inclusion, and ‘active’ (socially focused, and critically, consciously broad) inclusion. The article explores the political basis of these two styles of inclusion and how they encourage or discourage minority voices within democratic processes. The article then analyses how these styles of inclusion affect contributions, from minority voices, to policy development and practice in relation to religion in state schools. Inclusive policies in education in the past few decades have targeted socio-economic (often racial and location-based) and ability differentials. A lack of inclusion policies which specifically address cultural (particularly religious) barriers highlights the limitations of an economically focused social inclusion agenda.
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References
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
2012 Cultural Diversity in Australia. Catalogue 2071.0.
Aitkin & Ors
2012 Aitkin & Ors v The State of Victoria’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (Anti-Discrimination) Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal VCAT 1547 (18 October 2012), Ref A123/2011 and No A296/2011.
Alberts, Wanda
2008 Didactics of the Study of Religions. Numen, 55 (2/3), 300–334.
ASIB. Australian Social Inclusion Board
2010 Annual Report. Canberra: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. http://www.socialinclusion.gov.au/sites/www.socialinclusion.gov.au/files/publications/pdf/asib-board-annual-repor-2010.pdf.
Atkinson, S.
2005 Clueless at Easter - Kids fail basic test of religious festival. Sunday Mail, March 27.
Bachelard, Michael
2011 Curriculum head warns against axing religion. The Age, 29 May. http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/curriculum-head-warns-against-axing-religion-20110528-1f9py.html#ixzz2Aqz82SF4.
–– 2010 Thou shalt not teach humanism: ALP. The Age, 7 November.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/thou-shall-not-teach-humanism-alp-20101106-17i8t.html.
Braaten, Oddrun
2009 A comparative study of religious education in state schools in England and Norway. Unpublished thesis, Warwick University Faculty of Education, with permission. http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/3122.
Byrne, Cathy
2014 Religion in Secular Education: what, in heaven’s name are we teaching our children? Leiden: Brill.
–– 2012a ‘Mummy Jeesis is Alive! He is the King of Australia’: segregated religious instruction, child identity and exclusion. British Journal of Religious Education, 34(3): 317–331.
–– 2012b Ideologies of religion pedagogy and attitudes to religious diversity in Australian government schools. Multicultural Perspectives, 14(4): 201–207.
–– 2009 Public School Religion Education and the ‘hot potato’ of religious diversity. Journal of Religious Education, 57 (3): 26–37.
Cahill, Des, Gary Bouma, Hass Delal, and Michael Leahy
2004 Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia. Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. http://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au/upload/Religion_Cultural_Diversity_Main_Report.pdf.
Council of Europe
2009 Policies and practices for teaching socio-cultural diversity. Concepts, principles and challenges in teacher education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.
–– 2008 Committee of Ministers on Intercultural Education. Recommendation CM/Rec (2008)12, adopted by the Committee of Ministers, 10 December. https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1386911&Site=CM.
–– 2008a White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue. Living together as equals in dignity. CoE Ministers of Foreign Affairs, 118th Ministerial Session, 7 May. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/source/white%20paper_final_revised_en.pdf.
Crotty, R., and O’Donoghue, M.
2003 A strategy for teaching about the religious worlds of today. Journal of Religious Education, 51 (3), 19–23.
de Souza, M., Engebretson, K., Durka, G., Jackson, R., and McGrady, A. (eds)
2006 International Handbook of the Religious, Spiritual and Moral Dimensions in Education. Vols 1 & 2. Dordrecht: Springer.
Dinham, Adam and Jackson, Robert
2012 Religion, Welfare and Education, in L. Woodhead and R. Catto (Eds.) Religion and Change in Modern Britain. London: Routledge, 272–294.
Dunn, Kevin
2011a Quoted in Coslovich, Gabriella. In a tolerant society, racists hear this: your race is run. The Age, February 26. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/in-a-tolerant-society-racists-hear-this-your-race-is-run-20110225-1b8hz.html#ixzz1YM7ZsMlg.
–– 2011b Quoted in Johnston, Megan. Australia tolerant of cultural differences: study. Sydney Morning Herald, February 23. http://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-tolerant-of-cultural-differences-study-20110223-1b4ib.html#ixzz1YNfe1wMq.
–– 2008 Challenging Racism: The Anti-Racism Research Project. National level findings. Sydney: University of Western Sydney. http://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/173635/NationalLevelFindingsV1.pdf.
Gates, Brian
2005 Editorial. British Journal of Religious Education, 27(2): 99–102.
Gray, John
2000 Inclusion: A Radical Critique. In Social Inclusion. Possibilities and Tensions. Ed. Peter Askonas and Angus Stewart. London: Macmillan, 19–36.
Gutmann, Amy
1999 Democratic Education. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
ICCOREIS (Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools)
2011 SRE Handbook. Version 5. http://www.iccoreis.asn.au/documents/SREHandbook.pdf.
Jackson, Robert
2012 Issues in Religious Education within Public Education in the United Kingdom, in Rivista di storia del cristianesimo 2012/1 (special issue: Insegnare a credere. Costruzione degli Stati nazionali e insegnamento della religion nell’Europa contemporanea), 41–58.
–– 2011 Why educate about religions and beliefs? European Policy Recommendations and Research. A presentation to the Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin City University, 21 October. http://www.theewc.org/news/view/the.role.of.religious.education/.
–– 2008 Teaching about Religions in the Public Sphere: European Policy Initiatives and the Interpretive Approach. Numen International Review for the History of Religions, 55 (2/3): 151–182.
–– (ed)2003 International Perspectives on Citizenship, Education and Religious Diversity. London: Routledge-Falmer.
Jackson, R., Ipgrave, J., Hayward, M. Hopkins, P., Fancourt, N., Robbins, M., Francis, L., & McKenna, U.
2010 Materials Used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England. Report for the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF-RR197) Warwick University. http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR197.pdf.
Jackson, R., Miedema, S., Weisse, W. and Willaime, J. (eds)
2007 Religion and Education in Europe: Developments, Contexts and Debates. Mûnster: Waxmann.
Jenks, Charles, James O. Lee, and Barry Kanpol
2001 Approaches to Multicultural Education in Pre-service Teacher Education: Philosophical Frameworks and Models for Teaching. The Urban Review, 33(2): 87–105.
Komter, Aafke
2005 Social solidarity and the gift. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kymlicka, Will
1995 Multicultural citizenship: A liberal theory of minority rights. New York: Clarendon Press.
Levitas, Ruth
1998 The Inclusive Society? Social Exclusion and New Labour. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
–– 2003 The Idea of Social Inclusion. Social Inclusion Research Conference. http://www.ccsd.ca/events/inclusion/papers/rlevitas.htm.
Loria, Pat
2006 Religious information poverty in Australian state schools. Journal of Christian Education, 49 (3): 21–31.
Luxton, Meg
2005 Feminist Perspectives on Social Inclusion and Children’s Well-Being in Richmond, Ted, and Saloojee, Anver (eds). Social Inclusion: A Canadian Perspective. Halifax Canada: Fernwood Publishing, 82–104.
Maddox, Marion
2014 Taking God to School; The end of Australia’s egalitarian education? Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
–– 2011 Are religious schools socially inclusive or exclusive? An Australian conundrum, International Journal
of Cultural Policy, 17(2): 170–186.
Maher, Kate
2009 Social interaction and attitudes towards Australian Muslims: ‘we’ and ‘they’ constructions. The Australian Sociological Association conference, Clayton: Monash University. http://www.tasa.org.au/conferences/conferencepapers09/papers/Maher,%20Kate.pdf.
Markus, Andrew
2011 Mapping Social Cohesion 2011. The Scanlon Foundation Surveys summary report. http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mapping-population/--documents/mapping-social-cohesion-summary-report-2011.pdf .
–– 2010 Mapping Social Cohesion. The Scanlon Foundation Surveys summary report. Melbourne: Monash University, Institute for the Study of Global Movements.
Moore, Diane
2007 Overcoming religious illiteracy, a cultural studies approach to the study of religion in secondary education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
New South Wales Buddhist Council
2012 SRE news – newsletter, 2 February.
New South Wales Department of Education and Communities (NSWDEC)
2013 ‘Organisations approved to provide Special Religious Education in NSW Government Schools’, accessed June 28, 2013, http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/religion/.
New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSWDET)
2010 ‘Ten years of the HSIE K-6 Syllabus: questions and answers,’ HSIE K-6 Curriculum Directorate, New South Wales Department of Education, accessed February 8, 2010, www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/teaching/plan/plan_asset/hsie_quiz.pps.
QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – UK)
2004 Religious Education: The Non-statutory National Framework. London: QCA.
Rawlinson, R.W.
1980 Religion in Education in NSW Government Schools. Report to the Minister, November, 1980 (not provided in full). Some sections of the report were sourced from: http://rel-ed.acu.edu.au/mre/cdrom/government_doc.htm.
REDCo. Religion in Education. A contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European Countries
2007 http://www.redco.uni-hamburg.de/cosmea/core/corebase/mediabase/awr/redco/flyer/Redco_flyer_final_kor_mar07.pdf.
Rudd, Kevin and Gillard, Julia
2008 Australian Social Inclusion Board. Joint Media Release. May 21. Canberra: Australian Government Prime Ministerial Office. http://www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/080521%20RUDD%20GILLARD%20MEDIA%20RELEASE_Aust%20Social%20Inclusion%20Board.pdf.
Rymarz, Richard
2007 Who is this person Grace? A reflection on content knowledge in religious education. Religious Education, 102(1): 62–74.
School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA)
1994 Model syllabuses for religious education: Model 1: Living Faiths Today; Model 2: Questions and Teaching. London: School Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Schreiner, Peter
2009 Education for understanding religions and non-religious convictions: bases and pointers for living together as citizens. Council of Europe Exchange, June. Münster: Comenius Institut. http://ci-muenster.de/themen/europa/europa22.pdf.
Sen, Amartya
2000 Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.
–– 2000a Social exclusion: Concept, application and scrutiny. Social Development Papers. Office of Environment and Social Development, Asian Development Bank. Manilla: Philippines http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.100.1010&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Wotherspoon, Terry
2002 The dynamics of Social Inclusion: Public Education and Aboriginal people in Canada. Working Paper Series on Social Inclusion. Toronto: Laidlaw Foundation.
Wright, Andrew
2007 Critical Religious Education, Multiculturalism and the Pursuit of Truth. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
Young, Iris
2002 Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zwartz, Barney
2003 For God’s sake, kids, Jesus isn’t a profanity. Sydney Morning Herald, November 11.
–– 2012 Hopes dashed for course on religion. The Age, 25 June 25.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/hopes-dashed-for-course-on-religion-20120624-20wkv.html#ixzz2Ar1I333e.
2012 Cultural Diversity in Australia. Catalogue 2071.0.
Aitkin & Ors
2012 Aitkin & Ors v The State of Victoria’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (Anti-Discrimination) Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal VCAT 1547 (18 October 2012), Ref A123/2011 and No A296/2011.
Alberts, Wanda
2008 Didactics of the Study of Religions. Numen, 55 (2/3), 300–334.
ASIB. Australian Social Inclusion Board
2010 Annual Report. Canberra: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. http://www.socialinclusion.gov.au/sites/www.socialinclusion.gov.au/files/publications/pdf/asib-board-annual-repor-2010.pdf.
Atkinson, S.
2005 Clueless at Easter - Kids fail basic test of religious festival. Sunday Mail, March 27.
Bachelard, Michael
2011 Curriculum head warns against axing religion. The Age, 29 May. http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/curriculum-head-warns-against-axing-religion-20110528-1f9py.html#ixzz2Aqz82SF4.
–– 2010 Thou shalt not teach humanism: ALP. The Age, 7 November.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/thou-shall-not-teach-humanism-alp-20101106-17i8t.html.
Braaten, Oddrun
2009 A comparative study of religious education in state schools in England and Norway. Unpublished thesis, Warwick University Faculty of Education, with permission. http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/3122.
Byrne, Cathy
2014 Religion in Secular Education: what, in heaven’s name are we teaching our children? Leiden: Brill.
–– 2012a ‘Mummy Jeesis is Alive! He is the King of Australia’: segregated religious instruction, child identity and exclusion. British Journal of Religious Education, 34(3): 317–331.
–– 2012b Ideologies of religion pedagogy and attitudes to religious diversity in Australian government schools. Multicultural Perspectives, 14(4): 201–207.
–– 2009 Public School Religion Education and the ‘hot potato’ of religious diversity. Journal of Religious Education, 57 (3): 26–37.
Cahill, Des, Gary Bouma, Hass Delal, and Michael Leahy
2004 Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia. Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. http://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au/upload/Religion_Cultural_Diversity_Main_Report.pdf.
Council of Europe
2009 Policies and practices for teaching socio-cultural diversity. Concepts, principles and challenges in teacher education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.
–– 2008 Committee of Ministers on Intercultural Education. Recommendation CM/Rec (2008)12, adopted by the Committee of Ministers, 10 December. https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1386911&Site=CM.
–– 2008a White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue. Living together as equals in dignity. CoE Ministers of Foreign Affairs, 118th Ministerial Session, 7 May. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/source/white%20paper_final_revised_en.pdf.
Crotty, R., and O’Donoghue, M.
2003 A strategy for teaching about the religious worlds of today. Journal of Religious Education, 51 (3), 19–23.
de Souza, M., Engebretson, K., Durka, G., Jackson, R., and McGrady, A. (eds)
2006 International Handbook of the Religious, Spiritual and Moral Dimensions in Education. Vols 1 & 2. Dordrecht: Springer.
Dinham, Adam and Jackson, Robert
2012 Religion, Welfare and Education, in L. Woodhead and R. Catto (Eds.) Religion and Change in Modern Britain. London: Routledge, 272–294.
Dunn, Kevin
2011a Quoted in Coslovich, Gabriella. In a tolerant society, racists hear this: your race is run. The Age, February 26. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/in-a-tolerant-society-racists-hear-this-your-race-is-run-20110225-1b8hz.html#ixzz1YM7ZsMlg.
–– 2011b Quoted in Johnston, Megan. Australia tolerant of cultural differences: study. Sydney Morning Herald, February 23. http://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-tolerant-of-cultural-differences-study-20110223-1b4ib.html#ixzz1YNfe1wMq.
–– 2008 Challenging Racism: The Anti-Racism Research Project. National level findings. Sydney: University of Western Sydney. http://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/173635/NationalLevelFindingsV1.pdf.
Gates, Brian
2005 Editorial. British Journal of Religious Education, 27(2): 99–102.
Gray, John
2000 Inclusion: A Radical Critique. In Social Inclusion. Possibilities and Tensions. Ed. Peter Askonas and Angus Stewart. London: Macmillan, 19–36.
Gutmann, Amy
1999 Democratic Education. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
ICCOREIS (Inter-Church Commission on Religious Education in Schools)
2011 SRE Handbook. Version 5. http://www.iccoreis.asn.au/documents/SREHandbook.pdf.
Jackson, Robert
2012 Issues in Religious Education within Public Education in the United Kingdom, in Rivista di storia del cristianesimo 2012/1 (special issue: Insegnare a credere. Costruzione degli Stati nazionali e insegnamento della religion nell’Europa contemporanea), 41–58.
–– 2011 Why educate about religions and beliefs? European Policy Recommendations and Research. A presentation to the Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin City University, 21 October. http://www.theewc.org/news/view/the.role.of.religious.education/.
–– 2008 Teaching about Religions in the Public Sphere: European Policy Initiatives and the Interpretive Approach. Numen International Review for the History of Religions, 55 (2/3): 151–182.
–– (ed)2003 International Perspectives on Citizenship, Education and Religious Diversity. London: Routledge-Falmer.
Jackson, R., Ipgrave, J., Hayward, M. Hopkins, P., Fancourt, N., Robbins, M., Francis, L., & McKenna, U.
2010 Materials Used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England. Report for the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF-RR197) Warwick University. http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR197.pdf.
Jackson, R., Miedema, S., Weisse, W. and Willaime, J. (eds)
2007 Religion and Education in Europe: Developments, Contexts and Debates. Mûnster: Waxmann.
Jenks, Charles, James O. Lee, and Barry Kanpol
2001 Approaches to Multicultural Education in Pre-service Teacher Education: Philosophical Frameworks and Models for Teaching. The Urban Review, 33(2): 87–105.
Komter, Aafke
2005 Social solidarity and the gift. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kymlicka, Will
1995 Multicultural citizenship: A liberal theory of minority rights. New York: Clarendon Press.
Levitas, Ruth
1998 The Inclusive Society? Social Exclusion and New Labour. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
–– 2003 The Idea of Social Inclusion. Social Inclusion Research Conference. http://www.ccsd.ca/events/inclusion/papers/rlevitas.htm.
Loria, Pat
2006 Religious information poverty in Australian state schools. Journal of Christian Education, 49 (3): 21–31.
Luxton, Meg
2005 Feminist Perspectives on Social Inclusion and Children’s Well-Being in Richmond, Ted, and Saloojee, Anver (eds). Social Inclusion: A Canadian Perspective. Halifax Canada: Fernwood Publishing, 82–104.
Maddox, Marion
2014 Taking God to School; The end of Australia’s egalitarian education? Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
–– 2011 Are religious schools socially inclusive or exclusive? An Australian conundrum, International Journal
of Cultural Policy, 17(2): 170–186.
Maher, Kate
2009 Social interaction and attitudes towards Australian Muslims: ‘we’ and ‘they’ constructions. The Australian Sociological Association conference, Clayton: Monash University. http://www.tasa.org.au/conferences/conferencepapers09/papers/Maher,%20Kate.pdf.
Markus, Andrew
2011 Mapping Social Cohesion 2011. The Scanlon Foundation Surveys summary report. http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mapping-population/--documents/mapping-social-cohesion-summary-report-2011.pdf .
–– 2010 Mapping Social Cohesion. The Scanlon Foundation Surveys summary report. Melbourne: Monash University, Institute for the Study of Global Movements.
Moore, Diane
2007 Overcoming religious illiteracy, a cultural studies approach to the study of religion in secondary education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
New South Wales Buddhist Council
2012 SRE news – newsletter, 2 February.
New South Wales Department of Education and Communities (NSWDEC)
2013 ‘Organisations approved to provide Special Religious Education in NSW Government Schools’, accessed June 28, 2013, http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/religion/.
New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSWDET)
2010 ‘Ten years of the HSIE K-6 Syllabus: questions and answers,’ HSIE K-6 Curriculum Directorate, New South Wales Department of Education, accessed February 8, 2010, www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/teaching/plan/plan_asset/hsie_quiz.pps.
QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – UK)
2004 Religious Education: The Non-statutory National Framework. London: QCA.
Rawlinson, R.W.
1980 Religion in Education in NSW Government Schools. Report to the Minister, November, 1980 (not provided in full). Some sections of the report were sourced from: http://rel-ed.acu.edu.au/mre/cdrom/government_doc.htm.
REDCo. Religion in Education. A contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in transforming societies of European Countries
2007 http://www.redco.uni-hamburg.de/cosmea/core/corebase/mediabase/awr/redco/flyer/Redco_flyer_final_kor_mar07.pdf.
Rudd, Kevin and Gillard, Julia
2008 Australian Social Inclusion Board. Joint Media Release. May 21. Canberra: Australian Government Prime Ministerial Office. http://www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/080521%20RUDD%20GILLARD%20MEDIA%20RELEASE_Aust%20Social%20Inclusion%20Board.pdf.
Rymarz, Richard
2007 Who is this person Grace? A reflection on content knowledge in religious education. Religious Education, 102(1): 62–74.
School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA)
1994 Model syllabuses for religious education: Model 1: Living Faiths Today; Model 2: Questions and Teaching. London: School Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Schreiner, Peter
2009 Education for understanding religions and non-religious convictions: bases and pointers for living together as citizens. Council of Europe Exchange, June. Münster: Comenius Institut. http://ci-muenster.de/themen/europa/europa22.pdf.
Sen, Amartya
2000 Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.
–– 2000a Social exclusion: Concept, application and scrutiny. Social Development Papers. Office of Environment and Social Development, Asian Development Bank. Manilla: Philippines http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.100.1010&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Wotherspoon, Terry
2002 The dynamics of Social Inclusion: Public Education and Aboriginal people in Canada. Working Paper Series on Social Inclusion. Toronto: Laidlaw Foundation.
Wright, Andrew
2007 Critical Religious Education, Multiculturalism and the Pursuit of Truth. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
Young, Iris
2002 Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zwartz, Barney
2003 For God’s sake, kids, Jesus isn’t a profanity. Sydney Morning Herald, November 11.
–– 2012 Hopes dashed for course on religion. The Age, 25 June 25.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/hopes-dashed-for-course-on-religion-20120624-20wkv.html#ixzz2Ar1I333e.
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