Beyond Religious Education: The Case for a Core Course in Beliefs and Values at Secondary School Level

Abstract

How should children be taught moral and religious values at school in an age of secularism and religious tolerance? Associate Professor Peter Hobson proposes a new curriculum using an approach he calls 'extended pluralism'. The study of religion at secondary school level has had a checkered history. Up until the Second World War it was seen as a vehicle for moral education via the inculcation of Christian doctrine. With the growth of secularism and the multi-faith society a new model known as 'religious studies' developed where the role of religious education changed to that of exploration of a range of religious traditions while acknowledging that morality is not necessarily dependent on religious belief. It is now time to take the transformation of religious education one step further-to take it beyond purely religious world views and to give equal place to non-religious belief systems including the major ethical traditions. Such a major conceptual shift necessitates a new title for the subject. 'Religious education' carries too narrow a focus. Besides, it has negative connotations for that large segment of society who no longer believe in any of the traditional institutionalised religions but who nevertheless see the importance of children examining and critically assessing a range of world-views: non-religious, religious and moral.