AFRICA INSTITUTE OF Briefing NO 116 MARCH 2015

‘I believe in one God’ or the issue of teaching in Olga Bialostocka1

In the modern pluralistic world, the question of whether religious education should be provided at schools, and what kind of moral tuition it should be, keeps returning. The dilemma can be partly linked to the ambiguity of purposes that such education may serve. Depending on the way religious knowledge systems are communicated, they can be used to endorse a specific homogenous national identity or they can assist in building global citizenship. To prevent religion from becoming a divisive factor, an inter-faith approach to moral education needs to be adopted. Based on inclusivity and impartiality, rather than promotion of a specific religious stance, it should help students embrace diversity, while ascribing pride to their multiple cultures and beliefs. The issue seems particularly important in multicultural and multi-religious contexts, where integration of diverse people, as opposed to their assimilation or exclusion, is needed for social cohesion and nation-building. This policy brief deals with religious and moral education in one such country – Namibia, chosen for its perceived lack of intercultural conflicts despite the cultural diversity of its society. The brief identifies the gaps between policy and practice with relation to inter-faith education and recommends possible actions to address the problems.

The fear of God guides decision- cent) consider themselves (of different making in Namibia denominations), while 10 per cent – 20 per cent of the population still follow African traditional Namibia is a secular democratic state with a beliefs. Smaller communities of agnostics, Baha’i, highly heterogeneous population in terms of Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews have also been ethnic origin. There are no official statistics for the reported for the country.2 country with relation to religious affiliation of its The freedom of cultural expression, which inhabitants, and the census does not include this includes the practice of religion, is guaranteed to category either. However, according to estimates,1 all the citizens by the constitution of the country the majority of Namibians (80 per cent – 90 per (Article 19). Additionally, the Education Act (2001)

1. Olga Bialostocka is a Research Specialist at the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) in the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

© Africa Institute of South Africa AISA POLICYbrief Number 116 – March 2015 1 provides for freedom to practise and manifest any relation to their own beliefs, but ecumenical in religion at state schools (Article 40.1). According terms of Christian beliefs and inter-faith-oriented to the legislation, educational institutions in relation to other and value-systems.5 can determine their own conduct in respect of Consequently, despite being the religious observance, but only in consultation dominant religion in the country, teachers were with the parents of the learners (Article 40.2). instructed to adapt RME lessons to the views Accordingly, neither pupils nor school staff should represented in the classroom.6 be forced to attend any specific religious practices However, when studying the programme of (Article 40.3). RME in detail, one cannot help but notice that In 2004, Namibia adopted Vision 2030, a African traditions and customs form part of strategy describing the path that the country was the subject only in Grade 6 (minor references to undertake to become ‘a just, moral, tolerant and are also made in Grades 3 and 4), whereas safe society with legislative, economic and social during the rest of the schooling, different life- structures in place to eliminate marginalisation oriented topics are tackled mostly from the point and ensure peace and equity between women of view of Christianity or, to a lesser extent, and men, the diverse ethnic groups and people (examples are also infrequently drawn of different ages, interests and abilities’.3 The from ). Moreover, the syllabus is clearly objective set in the document was to be attained influenced by Christian religion. Even with through, among others, education. Consequently, regard to the local context, it highlights the in 2010, a new National Curriculum for Basic impact of African traditions on Christianity in Education, based on the existing legislation, Namibia, thus trying to link the two together. was introduced in schools. It set the tone for Such a Christian-focused, inter-faith-‘wrapped’ a learner-centred system designed to create a moral education can probably be explained by the knowledge-based society. The authors of the Vision 2030 model, which also seems to favour a curriculum recognised the impact of globalisation very specific view of reality. It sees the Namibian on contemporary Namibian society and thus society as one that ‘respects and upholds the emphasised the importance of embracing one’s right of every person to enjoy, practice, profess, identity and values as an individual, a culture maintain and promote his/her culture, language, and a nation, while understanding the changing tradition or religion in accordance with the multi-cultural world around. Social Sciences constitution’.7 Yet, it further states that ‘although were indicated as the main medium of moral and Namibia remains a secular society, Christianity is citizenship education. Included within this field the most popular religion, which holds promise of was subjects such as Environmental Studies, the moral upbringing of our children, and shapes Social Studies, Life Skills, and Religious and the moral basis of our interpersonal dynamics, Moral Education (RME). harmony and peaceful co-existence’.8 The RME in Namibia has gone through a shift in government’s position on religion is finally fully paradigm in the last two decades. A change from disclosed in the sentence: ‘Above all, the fear -influenced Christian confessional- of God guides decision-making in Namibia and based education to religious and moral provides the driving force for the maintenance of instruction focusing more on life orientation and a just and morally upright society’.9 As much as citizenship education was instigated after the the God mentioned in the excerpt is not specified, country gained independence. Simultaneously, the stance is based on the assumption that the African traditional religions and cultures, as whole society believes in one and the same well as African philosophy were identified as monotheistic God and shares in the fear of this important elements of contextualised schooling God. Thus, Vision 2030 seems one-sided; it not and included in the RME programme. The new only excludes certain types of believers, such as curriculum described the approach adopted ethno-religionists, but also completely omits the for religious education as inter-faith, one that atheists and agnostics. All considered, one may promotes ‘the spiritual and religious well-being actually ask whether a country whose decisions of the learner with due regard to the diversity are underpinned by religious beliefs can be and freedom of beliefs’.4 The programme was considered secular. Therefore, although Vision designed to revolve around common moral 2030 was developed in an inclusive context, values and shared traditions within the religious one cannot help but question the logic of the diversity of the country and of the world. The document in itself – if Namibia remains a secular syllabus of the subject further emphasised that country (not connected with religious or spiritual the teacher’s approach must not be dogmatic in matters) then how can its decision-making be

2 AISA POLICYbrief Number 116 – March 2015 © Africa Institute of South Africa guided by the fear of God? The aim of this policy which they personally do not share. One of brief is not to disprove the country’s secular the interviewed educators, a Christian woman status but rather to illustrate the taken-for- involved in missionary work, stated that she did granted religious assumptions hidden within its not teach other religions and beliefs, as it could policy, which may be more harmful to religious put ideas in the heads of the pupils. ‘It could be inclusivity than they are enabling. dangerous,’ she claimed. Other teachers usually denied ‘preaching’ a particular religious doctrine, stating instead that the God that children learned The hidden curriculum about remained undefined and could represent any religion. Apart from the fact that this Within this study, qualitative localised research universal deity was clearly a monotheistic God, was undertaken by the author in three state references made to Him usually indicated the primary schools10 in the Kunene Region of Christian God. For instance, children were taught Namibia. It was designed to understand people’s songs praising Jesus and heard stories from the lived experiences in relation to multiculturalism Bible. When learning about their weekly duties, in the educational setting. Data for the study they repeated all together that five weekdays are was gathered through individual interviews for attending school, while Sunday is the day to with teachers and school management, group go to church. Interestingly, teachers used Bible discussions with pupils, and observations in stories and Christian references in non-religious classrooms. A questionnaire with open-ended contexts as well. During geography class, the Nile questions was also distributed. Participant’s was described as a river in North Africa, where perspectives on how education caters for a Moses was left afloat in a basket. The Red Sea, multicultural society provided a glimpse into the in turn, was associated with the Israelites who extent to which Christianity pervaded schooling, walked through it, thanks to God’s intervention. which in fact is meant to be more germane to African traditional beliefs were usually cultural diversity. discussed based on the student’s experiences. Narratives of the respondents as well as In this case, teachers often learned from their observations in class demonstrate that a ‘hidden pupils and from each other about the customs Christian curriculum’ is regularly included in the and traditions of fellow Africans. Yet, even programme of RME and other subjects. Teachers though these indigenous beliefs were widely not only lack understanding of the different acknowledged as part of the pupil’s identities, religious traditions they are supposed to discuss some teachers audibly used a patronising voice with the pupils but are generally not aware of the when speaking about what they perceived as reason behind the inclusion of world religions superstitions that will eventually disappear with in the school curriculum: ‘The problem with time. The religious backgrounds of the teachers, our [Namibian] education system is that we are Christian or otherwise, clearly influenced their Christians and we have to teach Jewish [religion]. opinions. I don’t understand that. I wasn’t even taught that’. Given that the prescribed material for The problem seems to lie in the fact that educators religious education is just a compass that have the wrong perception of RME. Strikingly, directs educators in discussing moral values teachers treat the subject as a religion course, and religious traditions, the responsibility to instead of seeing in it a space for discussion on demonstrate to the pupils the diversity of the ethical and philosophical dimensions of religious viewpoints and to look for unifying elements systems globally. The role of RME is not to replace in the various faiths rests with the teachers as home-based religious and moral teaching, which individuals. Consequently, depending on the was highlighted in the syllabus. Intertwined intercultural competence of the instructors and with human rights and democracy education, their ability to conduct a dialogue with the pupils sustainable development, as well as AIDS and rather than act as the authority in matters of HIV education, the subject was designed as part of spirituality, RME may either ‘enable learners to citizenship education. understand their religious beliefs and practices, However, the study also showed that strong and their values, and to accept other people and attachment to their own beliefs and a particular groups whose values and religious traditions perception of other faiths by teachers individually differ from their own’11 or, to the contrary, enforce play a preponderant role in moral education. The the religious perspective of the dominant agent or teacher may be openly reluctant to discuss with group; in this case of Christians. Meanwhile, only the learners the basics of religious traditions one of all the interviewed teachers participated in

© Africa Institute of South Africa AISA POLICYbrief Number 116 – March 2015 3 training that addressed multicultural diversity. and school management, as individuals, that are The same person also took part in an inclusive responsible for putting the policies into practice. education course. As can be seen from the above examples, teachers In two of the schools studied, Christianity need intercultural competence to discuss matters was practised on a daily basis, either in the of religious diversity in a well-informed and non- form of daily prayers in the classrooms or in the judgemental way. The ignorance of educators or form of Bible teaching at a weekly assembly, their reluctance to teach something they do not both obligatory. Teachers’ meetings also began believe in results in children being educated, or with a group prayer. Apparently, the faith that even indoctrinated, in a religion that is not their dominated among the school management – own. Christianity in both cases – influenced religious To address the abovementioned issues, the practices in the entire institution. One of the said following recommendations are made: schools even welcomed pastors to talk to children 1. Teacher education programmes should be and invite them for services in their churches; revised to prepare future teachers to work with traditional religious leaders or representatives diversity. of other religions were not involved in any 2. Seminars and workshops dealing with way. This Christian-based approach was met multiculturalism and religious plurality should with enthusiasm by the teachers who shared be organised for school staff to help them the beliefs. However, it was strongly criticised develop intercultural competence. by more liberal teachers, who deemed it 3. RME teachers should be provided with training inappropriate for the multi-religious school that explains the inter-linkages between community. One of the teachers even admitted religious education and citizenship education that he himself did not feel comfortable during to help them understand the way the subject the everyday prayers he was expected to attend. can contribute to the peaceful development of He argued that Christian religion was imposed a pluralistic society. on children, as they had to learn the Bible even 4. Teachers should be trained in methods and though they did not necessarily belong to the techniques of teaching that involve the Church. participation of students. The ethical teachings The attitudes towards religion observed in the of spiritual traditions should constitute a basis third of the visited schools showed a completely for reflection and dialogue rather than sources different approach to faith and morality in the of authority for the pupils to follow. The school environment. The inter-faith education exchange of experiences between the teacher adopted in the said institution was best defined by and the pupil through dialogue is important a teacher who instructed his students: too, given the country’s focus on learner- centred education. ‘Some people believe they are talking to God through the holy-fire and the ancestors, some choose Mohamed, others – Jesus Christ. God is Notes and References one, the ways people choose to communicate 1 Central Intelligence Agency. n.d. The Wold Factbook: with him are different. You should not be forced Namibia. Available at https://www.cia.gov/library/ to believe in anything. You need to choose for publications/the-world-factbook/geos/wa.html [Accessed 9 yourself.’ September 2014]. 2 US Department of State. 2012. Namibia 2012 International Religious Freedom Report. Available at http://www.state.gov/ In the other said school, no prayers or Bible documents/organization/208390.pdf [Accessed 9 September teachings were conducted. Similarly, no ‘easy’ 2014]. answers to questions about faith were given. 3 Government of Namibia, 2004. Vision 2030. Available at When a pupil asked whether after death people http://www.gov.na/vision-2030 [Accessed 5 August]. joined God or the ancestors, the tutor simply 4 National Institute for Educational Development, 2005. responded: ‘You are asking me?’ Lower Primary Phase Syllabus. Religious and Moral Education: Grades 1-4. Available at http://www.nied.edu.na/ syllabuses2010/LP%20%20Folder/LP%20Curriculum%20 06%20Sep%202005.pdf Conclusions and Recommendations 5 National Institute for Educational Development, 2005. Upper Primary Phase Syllabus. Religious and Moral Education: Even the most advanced policy means nothing Grades 5-7. Available at http://www.ibe.unesco.org/curricula/ namibia/sx_upr_re_2006_eng.pdf if it is not being properly implemented. When it comes to education, it is mostly the teachers

4 AISA POLICYbrief Number 116 – March 2015 © Africa Institute of South Africa 6 Ibid. 7 Government of Namibia, 2004, p.40. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 10 The schools studied are not identified to protect the identity of respondents. Each of the institutions is a cluster centre within a different educational circuit in the Kunene Region. 11 Ibid.

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