Living Together with the Other:Education & Religion in a European Context5 - 8 October 2005Berlin

Religion and Schooling in “The New Europe”

Terrice Bassler KogaOpen Society Instituteterrice@koga.ro

Božena JelušićTeacher, Montenegro“Hard Waking Up”

Stages of Cultural Competence

Cultural Destructiveness

Cultural Incapacit

y

Cultural Blindness

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural Competenc

e

Cultural Proficiency

Bidirectional process; regression is always a possibility

Toleranceof the Other

Not seeing the Other

Hating the Other

Blaming the Other

Understandingthe Other

Embracing and working with the Other

Source: A tool from cross-cultural mental health work with refugees

Religious education emerging, re-emerging topic

• Religious institutions and religious education previously kept out of schools as competing ideology to the regime

 • New pressures on MOEs and politicians

• Obstacles and threats to open societyeducation from actual and hidden curricula, dominant school cultures

“The topic is too controversial. We should not raise it.Let the sleeping lion lie…”

VoicesVoices in debate… in debate…

““Religion and the Church have no place in State schools.”Religion and the Church have no place in State schools.”

““Learning about the main religious tradition in our Learning about the main religious tradition in our country is essential for cultural understanding and country is essential for cultural understanding and national identity.”national identity.”

““Religious education must be part of schooling if our Religious education must be part of schooling if our society is to address the moral crisis of today’s society is to address the moral crisis of today’s youth.”youth.”

Patterns

• Of 21 countries

Non-confessional 2

Confessional 13Neither *6• Dominance of majority Christian traditions (Orthodox,

Catholic, Protestant)

• Dichotomy between confessional religious education and “secular” ethics, civic education

• Vast territory of unresearched policy and practice, attitudes

• Distance from practice in Western Europe, different dimensions to policy debate, little or no European Commission support to general education

Country Approaches to Religious Education

Optional Subject (O)/ Compulsory Subject (C)/ Opt.-Comp.s. (OC)

Substitutive (S) or Alternative Subject (A)

Responsibility for Syllabi

Remarks

Albania No Confessional or Nonconfessional RE as a particular school subject

Confessional RE in a few denominational private schools

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Confessional: Islamic, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Adventist

OC Religious Communities Different regulations in the cantons of the Federation and the Republic SerbiaA new subject »Culture of religion« is planned

Bulgaria Confessional: Orthodox O Introduced in 1998 in primary school, 1999 in secondary school

Croatia Confessional: Catholic, Islamic

OC Religious Communities 76% Catholic

Kosova No Confessional or nonconfessional RE as a particular school subject

Macedonia No Confessional or Nonconfessional RE as a particular school subject

Mainly Orthodox and Islamic population

Montenegro No Confessional or Nonconfessional RE as a particular school subject

Romania Confessional: Romanian Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic

Religion is compulsory subject, included in the core-curriculum. But, upon the express wish of the parents, which must be in a written form, the pupil may be exempted from attending such classes.

Syllabi are the responsibility of the National Experts Commission, functioning in the framework of the National Curriculum Council. The syllabi are counselled representatives the religious confessions.

RE since 1998

Serbia Confessional RE OC Civic education Religious Communities Mostly Orthodox RE

Moldova Nonconfessional RE as a particular school subject in primary education. Optional school subject in secondary education.

O History of Religions Ministry of Education Mostly Orthodox RE

NON-EU MEMBER COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE

Key Questions & References for Policymakers:

1. What do we mean by religion and schooling?

2. What is the relationship between individual rights, religion and schooling in an open, democratic, pluralistic society?

3. Is there an “international convention” or “European standard” on religion and schooling in an open society?

4. Should teaching about religions be delivered in schools? If so, why, what and how? (Reference to CoE recommendation)

5. What is the appropriate role of the State (and its relation to religious institutions) with respect to religion and schooling in an open society?

Needs and Possible Responses

More open dialogue and local debate, informed media coverage within countries

Learner centered, whole

school, whole system,

whole curriculum

perspective

Developing

methodology,

practical adaptable

resources, modules

Local training teacher

training capacity, plus

ongoing classroom

support

Local reviews and research on curricula, textbooks, teaching and learning

Comparative references, exchange to inform policy dialogue

Ongoing cross-border networks for professional development