SOUTH AFRICA
TEACHING
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
by Trevor Oosterwyk
(“The
Cape Argus,” September 10, 2003)
The government is
calling
on school teachers to teach religion in an impartial manner, regardless of
their own views.
Minister of Education Kader Asmal does not want teachers to promote a
particular religion, or a prescribed set of religions, or a particular
religious perspective, because it will place students who come from
"diverse religious, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, at risk of
discrimination and prejudice".
This is the gist of the newly released policy on religion and education,
which
will be gazetted on Friday.
Asmal yesterday launched the policy document at a function at
Parliament.
Asmal said the policy sets out three key aspects of religion and
education,
which is founded on the philosophical premise that the state cannot allow
one
religion to be taught at its schools or cannot completely disassociate
religion
from the state.
It therefore proposes a co-operative model, "with the state and
church in
harmony, existing separately in our specific spheres, and working
collectively
in shared spheres of interest, like education".
All students will, as part of the Life Skills Programme, receive religious
education
where they will learn about religious diversity in South Africa. This will
not
be confessional or sectarian in approach, but will seek to "increase
understanding, build respect for diversity, value spirituality, and
clarify the
religious and non-religious source of moral values".
The policy says religious education will not promote any particular
religion,
but acknowledges the right of students to receive religious
instruction.
It accepts that children might have to receive instruction "in the
dogma
of a specific faith with a view to the formation of an adherent to the
faith".
The policy contends that this is the task of the parent or the religious
community and should fall outside the responsibility of the education
system.
Asmal said the education system will seek to support this function by
encouraging schools to make provision for important religious holidays to
be
observed, and also that students be afforded "release time" to
attend
certain religious observances, provided the lost school time is made
up.
The policy also encourages schools to make the school building available
for
such religious instruction, but that these must take place outside of
school
hours.
Asmal said the new policy concurs with the Constitution and the South
African
Schools Act that says students have the right to perform religious
observances,
particularly within the context of school assemblies.
The policy accords the right to decide on such issues to the school
governing
body, provided it is done in the context of free and voluntary association
and
on an equitable basis.
These religious observances include voluntary public occasions which make
use
of school facilities for religious service, voluntary occasions when the
school
community gather for a religious observance, or meetings during break time
and
an observance which may be ongoing and entails other dimensions such as
dress,
prayer times and diets.
The policy recommends processes to ensure equitability in the
implementation of
religious observances at schools. It proposes the separation of students
according to religion, "where the observance takes place outside of
the
context of the school assembly".
It also proposes equitable opportunities for observances by all faiths,
rotation of opportunities for observances, selected readings from various
texts
emanating from different religions, the use of a universal prayer, or the
observance of a period of silence.
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