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“Many young people as they go through adolescence and enter
adulthood feel uncertain and rudderless in a culture which
seems to offer little more than a concern for self and a
headlong pursuit of pleasure.... as they grow up they realise
that the world contains challenges and complexities they
could not have possibly imagined.....There are therefore
cultural and philosophical issues that need to be taken
seriously in education”
(Dr Jeremy Hall-Keynote address at the first national DAN
Conference Ethics and Spirituality conference held at
Canberra Girls Grammar in 2001.)
Independent schools offer parents many attractive features - a high academic standard
is crucial and all parents expect that such schools will get as much as possible out
of each child irrespective of ability. Music and sport are important as well as a wide range of
extra-curricula activities in independent schools. However, as indicated above other factors
are required to provide a good education and in Britain, and now in Australia, there is an
increasing emphasis on religious and values education. Parents who may themselves
have little in the way of religious commitment are often keen that their children
should be educated into sound values and an understanding and appreciation of a religious
perspective on life. Many independent schools lay considerable stress on values education
and see this as not only being part of their ethos but also providing a 'marketing
edge'.
The old ways of inculcating young people into a religious tradition simply do
not succeed - even if they were considered desirable. Research in Catholic schools in
New South Wales shows that the number of Catholic children educated at Catholic
schools who continue to attend mass once they leave school is less than 5%. In
Australasia, many young people feel no need for God and consider religion to be largely
irrelevant in their lives.
The approach of many young people to moral issues may be based on the maxim 'Anything goes
provided you don't hurt anyone'. There is an implicit, and sometimes explicit,
assumption of radical relativism. This is a post-modern assumption which, without
being identified, permeates the lives of many young people. A major contributory factor
to this attitude is the poor quality of much Australian religious education which, in some
schools, has not changed significantly for more than twenty years - this is partly a
legacy from the 1872 Victorian Education Act, and corresponding Acts in other States,
which said that Australian education should be 'secular, compulsory and free'.
In addition, Australia has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the world
and many young people feel a sense of meaninglessness. Life seems, to some, to
lack any point. Indeed any search for meaning and truth has become almost a
dirty word by the time some young people reach Grade 9 - although younger children
retain their innocence and sense the importance of a search for truth and understanding.
In Britain, it is generally accepted that the aim of R.E. is academic. It is a subject
which should to inform young people about religion, helping them take the religious and moral
perspective on life seriously seeing that these issues matter to them as individuals
and to society. This is not the same as catechises which aims to inculcate people into
a particular tradition.
In 1995/6 a survey was conducted of religious education in schools in Queensland,
New South Wales and Victoria which looked at the qualifications of those teaching, the
curriculum content and the time allocation in the curriculum. Catholic schools came
out as clear leaders on any objective assessment with almost all Catholic schools having
a minimum of four periods of R.E. a week - what is more, most of these schools had
specialist teachers who often held postgraduate diplomas or degrees in theology or
R.E.. Lutheran schools came second with 2 to 3 periods, Uniting Church Schools had about
2 periods and Anglican schools averaged 1.2 periods a week. Few Anglican schools had
qualified staff other than Chaplains who taught R.E.. Almost no state school had R.E.
as a significant part of the curriculum (as would be expected following the 1872 Act
although there is variation between States with Queensland possibly being slightly
more active in this area than any other state).
The Anglican Lambeth Conference, which brings together Anglican bishops from all over
the world every ten years, maintains that at the heart of Anglican Christianity
lies a 'fearless love of truth'. Catholic theology has always walked hand in hand
with philosophy. It has made considerable use of philosophers such as Aristotle and
has emphasised the importance of sound philosophical thinking in any understanding of
morality or theology. Indeed the very word 'catholic' means universal and the
breadth of the Catholic tradition is one of its major strengths which, today, is not
always recognised in some quarters. Evangelical Christianity takes seriously a
sound understanding of the Bible which goes beyond the superficial and Luther
and Calvin both used reason to argue against their opponents. Judaism has always
prized itself on sound academic thinking lying behind rabbinic reflection on the
Torah and Islam had, at least in the middle ages, a profound respect for philosophy.
It seems fair to say, therefore, that philosophy and the use of reason are central parts
of the major religious traditions - although it must be accepted that there are still
those who see R.E. as educating children into 'the truth' and who resist the idea of
open-minded questioning which is essential to personal development.
In the last fifteen years, Religious and Values education in Britain has been
transformed. R.E. is now a compulsory part of the curriculum from years 1 to 11 in
the state sector. The number of children choosing to take GCSE in R.E. at 16 and 'A'
level at 18 is showing a significant increase. Teachers qualified in Theology or
Theology and Philosophy are now common with an increasing number choosing to study
for Masters degrees in these subjects. This transformation has resulted in an
increase in curriculum time; greatly improved resources and innovative teaching methods.
It is suggested that the time has come for schools in Australasia to re-examine their Religious and
Values Education programmes to produce a vision that:
· Is distinctively Australian,
· gives real insights into key areas of religious belief,
· Is academically sounds and relevant to children, and
· Is acceptable to parents
1) A new way forward
The 'Five Strands' approach puts forward five themes to form the curriculum base for
each schools's Religious and Values Education programme from Prep. To Year 12. Each
school will need to develop these strands according to its curriculum, traditions,
ethos and strengths. The Strands are as follows:
1. The Biblical Strand
2. The Values Strand
3. The Philosophy of Religion Strand
4. The World Religions Strand
5. The Affective Strand
Click here for an outline of each Strand
If this approach is adopted, teachers will, over a period of time, need to be
trained in the use of stillness and silence in the classroom, although in some
schools it is likely that some teachers will already be using these techniques.
Initially this training may be by 'in-service' days. Those teachers who have
a real interest in this subject area can be sought whilst being careful to ensure
that this interest does not mark a desire to indoctrinate children with a
particular viewpoint at the expense of others.
There are many ways in which stillness can be fostered but they will include the
use of music, art, ikons and (see below) the Australian Bush. However young people
should be enabled to develop the capacity to be 'still' even when in the middle of
noise and busyness. At St. Ignatius' College Riverview there is a clearly developed
and sophisticated programme for taking this dimension seriously and for developing
the spiritual side of young people and some other significant schools have also
recognised the crucial importance of this aspect of education. In Geelong Grammar's
Timbertop campus, each day starts with a period in chapel, a significant part of
which is devoted to stillness with the children sitting quietly in the 'A' frame
chapel looking out over the bush. This is a prelude to days of hectic activity,
yet during the whole of the Year 9 which they spend at Timbertop, they are taught to
value stillness not only in chapel but also in their various expeditions. To
stand on top of a high peak and look out over the mountains after a night spent on
a solo expedition is a profound and moving experience which can stay with young
people throughout their lives and challenge their exiting views of the world. Such
'bush experiences' are a valuable part of Australia's heritage which are too often
neglected and ignored in a society which seems to prize activity above reflection.
In religious education young people can be helped to express their own ideas
without fear of censure or ridicule. A key assumption underlying the 'Five Strands'
approach is that under no circumstances should ideas or beliefs be imposed on
children. Rather they should be taught to value the search for truth and meaning
and should be tolerant of alternatives viewpoints and willing to listen to opinions
markedly different from their own. Religious faith should be seen as a result of
a personal quest where the journey itself is central and there should be room for
ambiguity and doubt.
Dr. Peter Vardy
Heythrop College
University of London
July 1999