Courses & Curricula
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Australian Religion Studies Review 61 Courses & Curricula Religious Ed~ation in the UK: A View from Down Under "Bitter blow for Church School", "The the U.K. covered both denominational and National Curriculum will damage every non-denoininational institutions and so the child's education", "Parental voices raised following thoughts need not be seen as . against Kenneth Baker's 'Shake Up"', one-eyed or sectarian. "Baker, architect of the second . It may be wise for me to attempt to Reformation", "Health attacks 'confidence 'define' Religious Education as I perceive trick' on parents". it. Since Terry Lovat in his recent book, These and many other similar comments "What is This Thing Called Religious were circulating in the United Kingdom Education?" maintains that educational press and media during the latter part of and theological developments have my sabbatical of eighteen months in 1987/ worked together to change the Religious 88. They apply to Kenneth Baker's Education agenda once and for all, the task proposal to introduce a National . of defining such a life-long work could. Curriculum in 1989. The first comment take a whole paper in itself. For the (from The Universe) focuses on one aspect purpose of this article let it suffice to say of Kenneth Baker's 'Second reformation' that most of what I see RE to be can be viz. the implications for Religious activity engaged in by both teacher and Education. Since the purpose of my pupil which hopes to free people from Sabbatical in the U.K. was to visit ignorance, prejudice and an over education institutions and to look at RE, its dependence on an emotional response to academic and curriculum aspects, I will life's events. I realise that this 'definition' reflect on these issues in the context of appears to have little to do with the both the National Curriculum and my traditional notions of what is being visit. attempted in RE lessons, but I'll take the Firstly a few disclaimers. My risk of the backlash for the purpose of background professionally is in. the brevity. My trinitarian freedoms mean that Catholic expression of the Christian I do see a place for both the cognitive and tradition and so a great deal of what I say affective dimensions being treated more or will be with this tradition as a backdrop. I less equally. Included· in my don't claim that what I saw and understanding is the present centrality of experienced, nor what I write here, is the the important debates about Education in whole picture of RE in the U.K.; it is Faith and Education of Religion and the simply one person's perception of what place of commitment in the classroom. people were attempting to do in Teacher This latter point is not intended to Education Colleges, Theology centres and narrow my perception of RE to the both Secondary and Primary schools. classroom as I do see that the whole ethos However, my visits to Tertiary, Secondary and philosophy of a school contributes to and Primary educational establishments in my understanding of RE in its most 62 Volume Two, Number 2 effective implementation in the confines of RE has two functions within a school the school setting. This comment is curriculum; it is a matter of good civics; it is a matter of religious formation. With regard to intended to imply that I also see the school the first, it is necessary for pupils in school to context as only a part of the RE scene and learn about Ouistianity, which still has some that some of the places I visited, eg, significance in explaining the post-Christian seminaries and Parish Diocesan Pastoral society ~ UK; it is necessary for pupils to learn about non-Otristian religions which are Offices are equally involved in RE in its practised by UK citizens such as Buddhism and wider understanding. It is probably the Islam; a study of comparative religion on a point of RE in the classroom that most of world-wide base is required so that a better the opponents of Kenneth Baker's National understanding of other peoples sharing this Curriculum proposal (for the remainder of planet becomes possible. There is sufficient here for a course which should be allocated a this article I will use the letters NC to refer position in any National core curriculum. With to the National Curriculum), and its regard to the second function of RE, the VA/ implication for Religious Education both in VC schools pay for the privilege of teaching the State school and the voluntary aided their religion (as well as paying their proportion of the maintained system>. But schools were addressing in their while this is their right, it is not - as is often objections. feared - a right to indoctrinate, but a right to Some of the prominent names among educate, that is, with sensitive and proper those who objected to the N.C.' s regard for the freedom of conscience of the pupils. A voluntary-aided/voluntary marginal ising of Religious Education were controlled school is expected to cover both Michael Grimmitt, John Hull and an kinds of religious teaching in its curriculum, impressive list of other academics. The and to require that RE holds a central part of essence of their opposition was expressed the core curriculum. Lastly it is incumbent on a in a letter to Kenneth Baker on 14 October, VA/VC school to evaluate regularly its curriculum so that its hidden curriculum gives 1987 in~which they said, "it is being widely the same messages to its pupils, staff and pointed out that the effects of your present . parents as its avowed RE curriculum. proposals upon Religious Education would be disastrous. You seem to be The Bishops of England and Wales relying on the 1944 legislation, and systematically worked through the N.C. particularly the·Sth Schedule of the Act, to and made some positive suggestions about protect RE but it is becoming increasingly redressing what they saw as a life clear that this reliance is misplaced. If RE is threatening situation. Their anxieties could. not actually wi thin the Foundation be summed up as follows: Subjects (if not the Core) the effect will be "At present the governors of Catholic to marginalise spiritual ,and moral values Schools are responsible for the whole in education". FroIlliheir positions as curriculum. In future they will only have a tertiary educators, they rightly point to the real say over the RE the school provides .. reduction in numbers of students who will . At present the curriculum in our schools eventually enter theft institutions (the is unified by the vision our faith proclaims. letter states that thirty-eight academics In future RE will be isolated from the rest from twenty Universities in England Wales of the curriculum." David Konstant, now were signatories) and work in the areas of Bishop of Leeds and a recognised Religion and associated disciplines. authority on RE for many years, spoke out During the twelve months I spent as a on three issues of concern: admission to Visiting Scholar at Heythrop College, schools, 'opting out' and the relationship University of London, the debate surfaced of RE to the N.C. In The Universe of many times and the registrar, Sr Maura December, 1987, David Konstant was O'Carroll summarized the situation with mildly optimistic that after recent regard to RE and its wider implications for consultation, RE would be given adequate social1iving in the U.K. as follows: time in the curriculum. However, he saw Australian Religion Studies Review 63 that while the general tenor of the Bill team teacher in the Myth, Ritual and Symbol promoted "spiritual, moral, cultural, and Approaches to the Study of Religion mental and physical development of courses where I was able to 'enlighten' pupils and society" he hoped that the Bill both the Lecturer and the students about would promote values other than these. Aboriginal spirituality. In the courses with This anxiety is justified in terms of an the Head of the Religion Department, viz., understanding of RE which is more than Religion and Morality and Psychology and what occurs in the classroom and more So~wlogy of Religion courses I was specifically in RE lessons. participant and 'guest lecturer' and found The Times Education Supplement of the level of sophistication and discussion January 8, 1988 reinforced one of my own of religion and religious issues very fears in terms of how I see education in commendable; these students were Third Australia shaping up in relation to values Years and were preparing for their Tripos other than those directly related to Exams so one would expect a fairly technology and its satellite subjects. thorough grasp of the relevant issues. During the whole debate that I was privy Besides the stage at which these students to in the U.K. there did not appear to be ' . were, there were always fewer than ten many voices raised against the specifically students in each of these courses, so the technology-orientated stress in the Core degree of individual attention would and Foundation subjects. It seems to me undoubtedly aid their understanding. that the present dolorous state of our earth Proximity to the Divinity Faculty of the is very much a product of the masculine/ University meant that some of the four and technological/ cognitive/competitive five week courses eg., Science and Religion mode of educating in family, school and could be given by outside lecturers. Rev society. Until we re-claim the feminine/ John Bowker, Trinity College Chaplain, I intuitive/affective/ co-operative mode of Hirst, Rev V.