Religion and Education: a Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America Lanny R

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Religion and Education: a Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America Lanny R East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works May 1985 Religion and Education: A Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America Lanny R. Bowers East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Other Education Commons Recommended Citation Bowers, Lanny R., "Religion and Education: A Study of the Interrelationship Between Fundamentalism and Education in Contemporary America" (1985). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2639. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2639 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS Tliis reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us Tor microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques Is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of "sectioning" the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University. Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 6514725 Bowers, Lanny Ross RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA Bast Tennessee State University Ed.D. 1985 University Microfilms International300 N. Zesb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or _____pages 2. Colored illustrations, paper or______ print 3. Photographs with dark background_____ 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original______ copy 6. Print shows through as there Is text on both sides_______ of page 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several________ pages 8. Print exceeds margin requirements______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost_______ In spine 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct_______ print 11. Page(s)___________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)___________seem to be missing In numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages num bered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages______ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received. 16. Other________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Supervision and Administration East Tennessee State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Lanny R. Bowers May 1985 APPROVAL This Is to certify that the Graduate Committee of LANNY ROSS BOWERS met on the 26th day of Harch 1985 The committee read and examined his dissertation, supervised his defense of It in an oral examination, and decided to recommend that his study be submitted to the Graduate Council and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education. dhalt■flan. Graduate Committee Signed on behalf of the Graduate Council Associate Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies 11 ABSTRACT RELIGION AND EDUCATION: A STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNDAMENTALISM AND EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA by Lanny R. Bowers Problem. The problem of this study was to ascertain the extent that education has become a focus of attack by fundamentalist groups during the past two decades in America. Design. The study was designed to consist of five chapters: an Introduction, a Review of Related Literature, Methods and Procedures, Presentation of Data and Analysis of Research Questions, and Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations. An attempt was made to present a compilation of the literature published relating religious fundamentalism to education in the United States. In Chapter 2, the attempt was to provide a historical overview of the literature to provide a definitive statement on the development of relationships between Church and State and their appendages. Specifically, the literature of the 1970s and 1980s were presented to establish resurgent attitudes and patterns. In Chapter A, each of four basic questions pertaining to the phenomenon was analyzed. There were: (a) Which societal factors have been historically associated with a rise in fundamentalism? (b) How has the role of the media Influenced fundamentalist movements in shaping their focus of attack? (c) Why is the educational system so crucial a subject for directing social change?, and (d) Are there parallels between the Neo-Fundamentalist movement and other political movements? In Chapter 5, tentative conclusions were drawn based upon the observations. Conclusions. It was concluded that rapidly changing social, cultural, and technological conditions in society causes a concurrent flux in social institutions resulting in various reactionary trends. Rising pluralism, insecurity and frustration, feelings of Individual powerlessness, institutionalization and Increasing secularism all give rise to reactionary religious thought. The use of modern media as an instrument of division and conquest by fundamentalists is basic to their attack. The media is used to network all fundamentalists and neutralize those individuals, corporations, political parties, and groups declared in opposition to fundamentalist beliefs. iii iv The educational system has been Increasingly attacked by the fundamentalists due to a perceived-or constructed conflict of purpose, variant emphasis of subject matter, the end goals of the system, and the school's visibility. Finally, there is a substantial similarity between all social movements that pursue varying degrees of totalitarianism in their development of a national fervor, use of propaganda and force prejudice, deception, and hatred for opposing ideas. DEDICATION This study Is dedicated to my mother, Mrs. Norma Jean Bowers ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would like to thank my wife, Marilyn and my daughter, Michelle for their patience and support through this ordeal. A special thanks Is extended to all the folks at the store: Bo, Roy, Myra, Randy, Bob, and Bondy for their patient and understanding support. I am thankful for a committee that was nothing but supportive and helpful in providing guidance, advice, critique, and prompt response. Without their open communication this cask may have proved far more difficult and unpleasant. Dr. Gem K. Grenlnger, Dr. William Evernden, Dr. J. Howard Bowers, Dr. William Acuff, and Dr. Roger Ilecht are all deserving of appreciation. A special thanks to Dr. Charles Burkett for his support and for standing by me through the many trials and tribulations that popped up along the way. The cooperation of my employer, Walters State Community College, made my residence requirements possible, A special thanks for their support is acknowledged. Finally, a special thanks to my typist, Madaline Jenkins, who was more than just a typist to me. Thank all of you for your aid, comfort, and assistance. vi CONTENTS Page APPROVAL ....................................................... il ABSTRACT ...................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENT ............................................... vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 The Problem...........................
Recommended publications
  • Grade 11 University/College
    ONTARIO CATHOLIC SECONDARY CURRICULUM RESOURCES FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Grade 11 – UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE Institute for Catholic Education 2018 Published by: Institute for Catholic Education 44 Hunt Street, Suite 2F, Hamilton, ON L8R 3R1 Ontario Catholic Secondary Curriculum Resources for Religious Education, Grade 11 – University/College On behalf of: Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 810, Toronto, ON M4P 2Y3 © 2018, Institute for Catholic Education 44 Hunt Street, Suite 2F, Hamilton, ON L8 3R1 Printed in Canada Grade 11 Religious Education HRE 3M Contents Course Overview ........................................................................................................................ 2 Course Description ..................................................................................................................... 7 Overall Expectation Chart .......................................................................................................... 9 How expectations are met ....................................................................................................... 16 Textbook Gap Analysis ............................................................................................................. 19 1 Course Overview STRANDS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The major areas of study in Religious Education courses in Catholic secondary schools are organized into six distinct but related strands, which usually will be integrated in a variety of teaching strategies. These strands do not represent
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding the Intelligent Design Creationist Movement: Its True Nature and Goals
    UNDERSTANDING THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN CREATIONIST MOVEMENT: ITS TRUE NATURE AND GOALS A POSITION PAPER FROM THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY OFFICE OF PUBLIC POLICY AUTHOR: BARBARA FORREST, Ph.D. Reviewing Committee: Paul Kurtz, Ph.D.; Austin Dacey, Ph.D.; Stuart D. Jordan, Ph.D.; Ronald A. Lindsay, J. D., Ph.D.; John Shook, Ph.D.; Toni Van Pelt DATED: MAY 2007 ( AMENDED JULY 2007) Copyright © 2007 Center for Inquiry, Inc. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for noncommercial, educational purposes, provided that this notice appears on the reproduced materials, the full authoritative version is retained, and copies are not altered. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the Center for Inquiry, Inc. Table of Contents Section I. Introduction: What is at stake in the dispute over intelligent design?.................. 1 Section II. What is the intelligent design creationist movement? ........................................ 2 Section III. The historical and legal background of intelligent design creationism ................ 6 Epperson v. Arkansas (1968) ............................................................................ 6 McLean v. Arkansas (1982) .............................................................................. 6 Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) ............................................................................. 7 Section IV. The ID movement’s aims and strategy .............................................................. 9 The “Wedge Strategy” .....................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Intelligent Design, Abiogenesis, and Learning from History: Dennis R
    Author Exchange Intelligent Design, Abiogenesis, and Learning from History: Dennis R. Venema A Reply to Meyer Dennis R. Venema Weizsäcker’s book The World View of Physics is still keeping me very busy. It has again brought home to me quite clearly how wrong it is to use God as a stop-gap for the incompleteness of our knowledge. If in fact the frontiers of knowledge are being pushed back (and that is bound to be the case), then God is being pushed back with them, and is therefore continually in retreat. We are to find God in what we know, not in what we don’t know; God wants us to realize his presence, not in unsolved problems but in those that are solved. Dietrich Bonhoeffer1 am thankful for this opportunity to nature, is the result of intelligence. More- reply to Stephen Meyer’s criticisms over, this assertion is proffered as the I 2 of my review of his book Signature logical basis for inferring design for the in the Cell (hereafter Signature). Meyer’s origin of biological information: if infor- critiques of my review fall into two gen- mation only ever arises from intelli- eral categories. First, he claims I mistook gence, then the mere presence of Signature for an argument against bio- information demonstrates design. A few logical evolution, rendering several of examples from Signature make the point my arguments superfluous. Secondly, easily: Meyer asserts that I have failed to refute … historical scientists can show that his thesis by not providing a “causally a presently acting cause must have adequate alternative explanation” for the been present in the past because the origin of life in that the few relevant cri- proposed candidate is the only known tiques I do provide are “deeply flawed.” cause of the effect in question.
    [Show full text]
  • Do Miracles Occur?
    Do Miracles Occur? Kenny Pearce Big Questions in Philosophy Trinity College Dublin February 2, 2021 Kenny Pearce (Big Questions) Do Miracles Occur? February 2, 2021 1 / 22 Ibrahim said: \. Fie upon you and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense?" They [the idolaters] said: \Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing." We (Allah) said: \O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim!" And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers. (Quran 21:66{70) A young labourer [in Templemore] named James Walsh has had visions of the Blessed Virgin. Miraculous cures are also being reported, including that of a young girl named Crowe, who was in the last stage of consumption when she entered Dwan's house, but completely healed when she left it. (Century Ireland, 23 August 1920) Miracles Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back. and turned the sea into dry land. (Exodus 14:21) Kenny Pearce (Big Questions) Do Miracles Occur? February 2, 2021 2 / 22 A young labourer [in Templemore] named James Walsh has had visions of the Blessed Virgin. Miraculous cures are also being reported, including that of a young girl named Crowe, who was in the last stage of consumption when she entered Dwan's house, but completely healed when she left it. (Century Ireland, 23 August 1920) Miracles Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back. and turned the sea into dry land.
    [Show full text]
  • HUMANISM Religious Practices
    HUMANISM Religious Practices . Required Daily Observances . Required Weekly Observances . Required Occasional Observances/Holy Days Religious Items . Personal Religious Items . Congregate Religious Items . Searches Requirements for Membership . Requirements (Includes Rites of Conversion) . Total Membership Medical Prohibitions Dietary Standards Burial Rituals . Death . Autopsies . Mourning Practices Sacred Writings Organizational Structure . Headquarters Location . Contact Office/Person History Theology 1 Religious Practices Required Daily Observance No required daily observances. Required Weekly Observance No required weekly observances, but many Humanists find fulfillment in congregating with other Humanists on a weekly basis (especially those who characterize themselves as Religious Humanists) or other regular basis for social and intellectual engagement, discussions, book talks, lectures, and similar activities. Required Occasional Observances No required occasional observances, but some Humanists (especially those who characterize themselves as Religious Humanists) celebrate life-cycle events with baby naming, coming of age, and marriage ceremonies as well as memorial services. Even though there are no required observances, there are several days throughout the calendar year that many Humanists consider holidays. They include (but are not limited to) the following: February 12. Darwin Day: This marks the birthday of Charles Darwin, whose research and findings in the field of biology, particularly his theory of evolution by natural selection, represent a breakthrough in human knowledge that Humanists celebrate. First Thursday in May. National Day of Reason: This day acknowledges the importance of reason, as opposed to blind faith, as the best method for determining valid conclusions. June 21 - Summer Solstice. This day is also known as World Humanist Day and is a celebration of the longest day of the year.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Mass
    A Theory of the Critical Mass. I. Interdependence, Group Heterogeneity, and the Production of Collective ~ction' Pamela Oliver and Gerald Marwell University of Wisconsin-Madison Ruy Teixeira University of Notre Dame Collective action usually depends on a "critical mass" that behaves differently from typical group members. Sometimes the critical mass provides some level of the good for others who do nothing, while at other times the critical mass pays the start-up costs and induces widespread collective action. Formal analysis supple- mented by simulations shows that the first scenario is most likely when the production function relating inputs of resource contri- butions to outputs of a collective good is decelerating (characterized by diminishing marginal returns), whereas the second scenario is most likely when the production function is accelerating (character- ized by increasing marginal returns). Decelerating production func- tions yield either surpluses of contributors or order effects in which contributions are maximized if the least interested contribute first, thus generating strategic gaming and competition among potential contributors. The start-up costs in accelerating production func- tions create severe feasibility problems for collective action, and contractual or conventional resolutions to collective dilemmas are most appropriate when the production function is accelerating. INTRODUCTION This article extends the formal theory of collective action to define and specify the role of the critical mass. For a physicist, the "critical mass" is ' This research was supported by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The authors wish to thank Erik Olin Wright, Elizabeth Thomson, John Lemke, and the reviewers of this Journal for their comments on an earlier version of this article.
    [Show full text]
  • INTRODUCTION 1. Medical Humanism and Natural Philosophy
    INTRODUCTION 1. Medical Humanism and Natural Philosophy The Renaissance was one of the most innovative periods in Western civi- lization.1 New waves of expression in fijine arts and literature bloomed in Italy and gradually spread all over Europe. A new approach with a strong philological emphasis, called “humanism” by historians, was also intro- duced to scholarship. The intellectual fecundity of the Renaissance was ensured by the intense activity of the humanists who were engaged in collecting, editing, translating and publishing the ancient literary heri- tage, mostly in Greek and Latin, which had hitherto been scarcely read or entirely unknown to the medieval world. The humanists were active not only in deciphering and interpreting these “newly recovered” texts but also in producing original writings inspired by the ideas and themes they found in the ancient sources. Through these activities, Renaissance humanist culture brought about a remarkable moment in Western intel- lectual history. The effforts and legacy of those humanists, however, have not always been appreciated in their own right by historians of philoso- phy and science.2 In particular, the impact of humanism on the evolution of natural philosophy still awaits thorough research by specialists. 1 By “Renaissance,” I refer to the period expanding roughly from the fijifteenth century to the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the humanist movement begun in Italy was difffused in the transalpine countries. 2 Textbooks on the history of science have often minimized the role of Renaissance humanism. See Pamela H. Smith, “Science on the Move: Recent Trends in the History of Early Modern Science,” Renaissance Quarterly 62 (2009), 345–75, esp.
    [Show full text]
  • A Short Course on Humanism
    A Short Course On Humanism © The British Humanist Association (BHA) CONTENTS About this course .......................................................................................................... 5 Introduction – What is Humanism? ............................................................................. 7 The course: 1. A good life without religion .................................................................................... 11 2. Making sense of the world ................................................................................... 15 3. Where do moral values come from? ........................................................................ 19 4. Applying humanist ethics ....................................................................................... 25 5. Humanism: its history and humanist organisations today ....................................... 35 6. Are you a humanist? ............................................................................................... 43 Further reading ........................................................................................................... 49 33588_Humanism60pp_MH.indd 1 03/05/2013 13:08 33588_Humanism60pp_MH.indd 2 03/05/2013 13:08 About this course This short course is intended as an introduction for adults who would like to find out more about Humanism, but especially for those who already consider themselves, or think they might be, humanists. Each section contains a concise account of humanist The unexamined life thinking and a section of questions
    [Show full text]
  • Was Immanuel Kant a Humanist? This Article Continues FI 'S Ongoing Series on the Precursors of Modern-Day Humanism
    Was Immanuel Kant a Humanist? This article continues FI 's ongoing series on the precursors of modern-day humanism. Finngeir Hiorth erman philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is can be found in antiquity, the proofs were mainly developed generally regarded to be one of the greatest philos- in the Middle Ages. And during this time Thomas Aquinas Gophers of the Western world. His reputation is based was their major advocate and systematizer. mainly on his contributions to the theory of knowledge and Kant undertook a new classification of the proofs, or to moral philosophy, although he also has contributed to other arguments, as we shall call them. He distinguished between parts of philosophy, including the philosophy of religion. Kant ontological, cosmological, and physico-theological arguments, was a very original philosopher, and his historical importance and rejected them. He believed that there were no other is beyond any doubt. And although some contemporary arguments of importance. Thus, for Kant, it was impossible humanists do not share the general admiration for Kant, he to prove the existence of God. to some extent, remains important for modern humanism. God's position was not improved in Kant's next important Kant is sometimes regarded to be the philosopher of the publication, Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785). Protestants, just as Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is considered In this rather slim (about seventy pages) publication, Kant to be the philosopher of the Catholics. One might think a gave an analysis of the foundation of ethics. What is philosopher who is important to Protestantism is an unlikely remarkable from a humanistic point of view is that God is candidate for a similar position among secular humanists.
    [Show full text]
  • Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John Mccarthy
    bs_bs_banner British Journal of Industrial Relations doi: 10.1111/bjir.12084 52:4 December 2014 0007–1080 pp. 627–657 Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John McCarthy Abstract Solidarity has long been considered essential to labour, but many fear that it has declined. There has been relatively little scholarly investigation of it because of both theoretical and empirical difficulties. This article argues that solidarity has not declined but has changed in form, which has an impact on what kinds of mobilization are effective. We first develop a theory of solidarity general enough to compare different forms. We then trace the evolution of solidarity through craft and industrial versions, to the emergence of collaborative solidarity from the increasingly fluid ‘friending’ relations of recent decades. Finally, we examine the question of whether these new solidarities can be mobilized into effective collective action, and suggest mechanisms, rather different from tra- ditional union mobilizations, that have shown some power in drawing on friending relations: the development of member platforms, the use of purposive campaigns and the co-ordination of ‘swarming’ actions. In the best cases, these can create collective actions that make a virtue of diversity, openness and participative engagement, by co-ordinating groups with different foci and skills. 1. Introduction In the last 30 years, there is every evidence that labour solidarity has weak- ened across the industrialized world. Strikes have widely declined, while the most effective recent movements have been fundamentalist and restrictive — turning back to traditional values and texts, narrowing the range of inclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • Contested Authorities Over Life Politics: Religious
    CONTESTED AUTHORITIES OVER LIFE POLITICS: RELIGIOUS-SECULAR TENSIONS IN ABORTION DEBATES IN GERMANY, TURKEY, AND ISRAEL1 Gökce Yurdakul, Professor of Sociology, Humboldt University of Berlin Gala Rexer, Doctoral Researcher, Humboldt University of Berlin Nil Mutluer, Einstein Senior Fellow, Humboldt University of Berlin Shvat Eilat, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Sociology and Anthroplogy, Tel Aviv University Abstract Conflicts between religious and secular discourses, norms, actors, and institutions are differently shaped across the Middle East and Europe in accordance with their specific socio- legal contexts. While current scholarship has often studied this tension by focusing on religious rituals, we shed new light on the way religion and secularity shape the everyday making of life politics by way of a three-country comparison of abortion debates in Germany, Turkey, and Israel. Through face-to-face interviews with stakeholders involved in interpreting secular abortion law, we analyze how social actors in three predominantly monotheistic countries and 1 This article is written as a part of a larger research project on contested authority in body politics which compares religious-secular tensions on male circumcision, abortion, and posthumous organ donation, led by equal PIs Gökce Yurdakul and Shai Lavi, funded by the German-Israeli Foundation Regular Grant (2016 through 2019). We thank our research assistants, who conducted interviews in three countries: David Schulz (Germany); Burcu Halaç and Emine Uçak (Turkey); Shvat Eilat and Gala Rexer (Israel). Nil Mutluer’s research has been supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp-Schwartz Scholarship for Scholars at Risk (2017 through 2019). Anna Korteweg, Sharon Orshalimy, Kinneret Lahad and two anonymous reviewers commented on the earlier versions of this article.
    [Show full text]
  • A Report on the State of Hinduism in Religious Education in UK Schools
    0 1 A report on the state of Hinduism in Religious Education in UK schools Published 14th January 2021 INSIGHT UK www.insightuk.org Email: [email protected] 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 8 PROJECT METHODOLOGY 12 PHASE 1 - RESEARCH PHASE 14 Key findings 14 PHASE 2 - CONSULTATION PHASE 19 Key Findings 19 PHASE 3 - SURVEY PHASE 23 Survey findings - Primary schools (Year 1-6) 24 Survey findings - Key stage 3 (Year 7-9) 29 Survey findings - Key stage 4 (Year 10-11) 33 Survey findings - Standing Advisory Councils on RE (SACRE) section 40 Survey findings - School Governor section 41 General questions for Hindu Parents 42 KEY FINDINGS FROM SURVEY PHASE 46 RECOMMENDATIONS 50 WHAT NEXT? 54 REFERENCES 56 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 59 3 4 Executive summary INSIGHT UK is pleased to present the report on the state of Hinduism in Religious Education (RE) in UK schools. INSIGHT UK is an organisation that aims to address the concerns of the British Hindu and British Indian communities. In 2020, INSIGHT UK conducted a project with a team comprised of highly experienced members of the Hindu community, amongst which are well- known academics, including professors and teachers. The project goal was to assess the current state of Hinduism in RE in UK schools and recommend changes to improve it. This project was supported by Hindu Council UK, Hindu Forum of Britain, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (UK), National Council of Hindu Temples UK and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK). We are thankful to everyone who has contributed to this project. Key Findings The main findings from this survey concluded: • 97% of survey respondents say it is important and paramount for their child to learn about Hinduism.
    [Show full text]