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