WHO’S SCARED OF SACRED SPACE?Joyce Miller
Lancashire primary RE conference, 2009
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SACRED SPACE?
THE NATURAL WORLD
CEMETERIES
MEMORIALS
PLACES OF WORSHIP
SACRED SPACE
Sacred space is any space - within
the school grounds, the local
community, the region, the nation, the
world - where children can explore
religious, spiritual and moral
questions...
LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM -LOTC
Major government initiative to promote learning outside the classroom
Eight separate sectors working together
‘Out and about guidance’
Health, safety, risk and benefit
So, who’s scared............?
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES?
Confidence and competence
Visitors’ expectations
‘Representation’ – religion as it is, warts and all.
THE QUALITY BADGE SCHEME FOR LOTC
There are six quality indicators for ‘providers’:
has a process in place to assist users to plan the learning experience effectively;
provides accurate information about its offer; provides activities, experience or resources
which meet learner needs; reviews the experience and acts on feedback; meets the needs of the users; has safety management processes in place to
manage risk effectively.
THE NEW LOTC COUNCIL
BENEFITS FOR ‘PROVIDERS’
Contacts with community members
Links with local (and other) schools
Contributing to children’s learning
Sharing of outcomes – pupils’ work displayed
Money!
ARE THE CHILDREN SCARED?
Fear
Prejudice
Boredom
BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN (1)
Children can engage first hand with religious communities: visits, interviews and research- i.e. Engage in ethnographic research
Enables study of real people and breaks down stereotypes
They can become ‘skilled cultural navigators’
BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN (2)
‘Edification’ - the application of experience to their own lives
Opportunity for reflection and the development of empathy
Spiritual moral social and cultural development
Aesthetic experience
AS IT SAYS ON OUR WEBSITE...
‘... getting pupils outside the classroom and into sacred space can not only improve the quality of religious education but contribute to pupils' spiritual development as well as giving many opportunities for exciting cross-curricular learning.’
PARENTS?
Fear
Prejudice
Withdrawal clause
Advice on how to pre-empt problems see www.reonline.org.uk/sacredspace
BENEFITS FOR PARENTS
Gives their children knowledge of the outside world
Contact with difference in a safe space
TEACHERS?
Confidence
Competence
Bureaucracy
BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS -1
Contribution to pupils’ cognitive development
Understanding of religious concepts
Interpretation of religious language and symbols
Cross - curricular learning opportunities
See this term’s RE Today for 10 tips on LOtC in sacred space
BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS - 2
1. Contribution to duty to promote community cohesion
2. Appreciation of difference and awareness of commonality
3. Opportunity to explore key concepts of identity and community
1. COMMUNITY COHESION - CHARACTERISTICS
A common vision and sense of belonging for all
Diversity is appreciated
Similar life opportunities
Strong and positive relationships are developed
COMMISSION ON INTEGRATION & COHESION
Shared futures – an emphasis on articulating what binds communities together
A new model of rights and responsibilities
A new emphasis on mutual respect and civility – strengthening social bonds within groups
Visible social justice – prioritising transparency and building trust
2. COMMONALITIES AS WELL AS DIFFERENCES
Through exploration and engagement, find what is held in common between religions and beliefs
Avoid focusing on the different and the ‘interesting’
The shared heritage of Judaism,Christianity and Islam should be explored.
3. IDENTITY(IES) AND COMMUNITY(IES)
Key concepts
They are organic, fluid and multiple
They are not fixed and unchanging
Explore what they mean with children and young people
FINALLY....
Two reminders and words of warning:
AVOID ASSUMPTIONS...
Learning about religions will not necessarily promote community cohesion. At worst, it will increase alienation by focusing on ‘otherness’
Pupils bring their own preconceptions, prejudices and misinformation to the classroom.
If they are not challenged, they will remain.
AND REMEMBER THAT...
Teachers are not defenders of faiths Don’t sanitise or homogenise religions
Respect is not synonymous with indiscriminating tolerance Not everything religious is worthy of respect
ESSENTIAL WEBSITES
www.lotc.org.uk
www.reonline.org.uk/sacredspace