How Does Religious Education Contribute to Pupils Development - Article Example

In what ways does Religious Education in the room support this and how does it contribute to pupils’ development 500 words)   Religious Education has gained phenomenal recognition in the classroom situation, as parents, teachers, educators and the statesmen have recognized the beneficial influence which such education imparts in nurturing values and character within the framework of curriculum. The present curriculum with focus on technology, and modern shallow coursework which simply trains the young to acquire knowledge for the sake of financial stability and monetary achievement, has created a vacuum which is recognized by educators, parents and politicians as something which should be filled by value based religious education, reinforcing the characteristics of value based performance. The education needs to inculcate in the pupils the desire to learn, explore and achieve guided by sound ethical, moral and spiritual principles, which would nurture conscientious and ethical students whose character is moulded by virtue and sense of community. The educational importance is of significant value, and emphasis should be made by adopting value based religious education supported by National Curriculum Council. This aspect should be incorporated in the training of the teachers as professional educators. The importance of spiritual and moral development along with physical, emotional and mental development would enhance the success of the students and create a better and more harmonious community. “There has been an unprecedented explosion of interest at all levels of educational concern in problems of values education; several discussion papers on the topics of social, moral and spiritual education have appeared” (Carr, 83-98) The 20th century advent of globalization has given greater emphasis to cultural identity and indirectly encouraged the incorporation of cultural and religious education within the framework of educational curriculum. “The religious educators, scholars and academics of Britain led the religious studies movement that expanded the field of theory in religious education beyond the domination of the Christian traditions, giving it an inter-faith dimension. Prominent among these religious educators was Michael Grimmitt.” ( GRIMMITT, 2000). Grimmitt proposed a pedagogy which clearly defined the exclusive role of the State and the Church, respectively in the arena of religious education. He argued that the two institutions had different role in the teaching of religion. He also summarized the key differences between instructing and educating. He strongly argued that “the study of religion in the state school needed to be justified on educational grounds” ( GRIMMITT, 2000). He emphasized the need to focus on the fact that education required skills and dimensions which would initiate young people into what is ““worthwhile…. specific modes of thought and awareness, such as science, history, mathematics, religious and ascetic awareness together with moral prudential and technical forms of thought and action” (p.50),(Peters, 1966) ( GRIMMITT, 2000). The core aim of religious education should be to ignite the young minds to be sensitive towards value based diversity in this age of Globalization. The outcome of Catholic religious education ‘is religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills to think spiritually, ethically and theologically and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life’. (Bishops’ Conference, 1996, The Curriculum Directory, p.10). Though this is the aim of catholic education, any religious education would aim at the same objectives for its pupils, with emphasis on value based learning. Grimmitt proposed a very inclusive curriculum for religious education based on educational grounds with emphasis on three criteria’s which would fulfil the requirement for good religious education. These criterions were “Does the subject incorporate a unique mode of thought and awareness that is “worthwhile” for a person’s understanding of self and human life?; Does the subject widen and deepen the student’s perspective in a unique and valuable way and so contribute to human development?; Can the subject be taught in ways that ensure understanding and foster the child’s ability for independent thought?” (Grimmitt, 1973: 9-10). ) ( GRIMMITT, 2000). The primary aim of religious education is to strengthen the roots of the pupils, who may have better understanding of their own self and of the lessons learned in life. This awareness and knowledge would widen their horizons by better understanding of their culture and faith, this would generate confident and value based children. This would also deepen their understanding of their conviction and belief, leading them to amore satisfying and stable life. It would make them more receptive and tolerant of other people’s faith, as they understand their own faith with sincerity and inclusion. The diversity of the present society should aim at creating curriculum which is inclusive of the core values and the faith, along with the respect and tolerance for each others faith and religion. The two areas of the curriculum where religious education can be very easily incorporated to add more moral value to the school curriculum are the music which can include along with popular music religious music which sows the seeds of faith and character. Another area would be literature, reading about value based stories and literature and incorporating analysis and discussion, leading to better understanding. Religious Education has the depth which can impart to the students a challenging set of value based activities which can inculcate in them virtues which lead to sound character and deeper understanding. This would lead to greater knowledge and understanding, with awareness regarding the contributions made in the spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments of the pupils. This would enhance their personal confidence and sense of belonging. When religious education is introduced as a part of curriculum playing a compulsory role in the education system, one can see the strengthening of the chords of brotherhood. In today’s multicultural society people merge globally with interactions leading to different exposures with religion and faith and culture. This merging of culture significantly requires greater need for understanding one’s own faith and culture, which would lead to respecting the various faiths and religions with greater degree of understanding and awareness. Knowledge in this field helps in the spiritual and ethical enfoldment of the person’s personality and character. This also adds to the richness within the school premises as values and faith are inculcated in the everyday actions and the behaviour of the students. . “Clearly in order to learn about religion one must investigate that part of the arena of faith responses which I have designated ‘traditional belief systems’ because it is in and through these that religious interpretations of meaning are made explicit in the social world. Equally, however, in order to appreciate the necessary relationship that religious faith responses have to everyday experiences of life, one must also investigate ‘shared human experience’. (Grimmitt, 1987, p.204). In 2000 Grimmitt again enunciated the dialectic between human experience and the content of religions, in his constructivist pedagogy of religious education where he emphasized that the item of religious content is always brought into dynamic relationship with critical and reflective thought; that any communication of information is about the item of religious content on the part of the teacher is always related to the constructions that pupils are using, applying and articulating and that the sequence of learning is always from encouraging egocentric interpretations of experience within situated thought, through alternative conceptualized interpretations.”(Grimmitt,2000). Religion regardless of geographical boundaries has the power to unite people together for a common goal; this unity can lead to many social and economic advantages, in which people see each other more as part of community, trying to achieve a common goal. The exposure to religious education encourages critical and reflective thought which nurtures aware, dynamic and reflective pupils who have the power to change the world for better harmony and unity. The moral themes incorporated at the primary and the secondary level reinforcing the home and families, friends and neighbors, community, teamwork, things which make us happy, adventures and discoveries, experiences of awe, wonder, mystery, courage, sympathy, giving and receiving, aggression, pain and suffering. And in the light of this understanding this whole, the pupil has an opportunity to become whole. The Religious Education plays a very important role in the character development of the pupil, with inculcation of the virtues which can become traits which would lead to the development of ethical and moral adults shaping the society into a more harmonious and unified unit. The character development based on the virtue ethics would steer the boat of life in the direction which uplifts the individual as well as the community in which he lives. The emergence of Catholic Schools, Jewish Schools, Hindu schools, Buddhists Schools, Muslim Schools have the same mission to train their pupils to become grounded in their core culture and faith, with an attitude of respect for other religion and faith leading to more global acceptance and universal harmony. The greater the faith, the stronger the character and better would be the service rendered to the community, in which an individual evolves into full blossom of his human quality. This would be complete education of the mind, body and soul, an ultimate training ground for the whole being, creating future pupils who would have the power to change the world around them as they are intrinsically trained in core value of understanding and faith. Work Cited Carr, David (1995).Towards a Distinctive Conception of Spiritual Education. Oxford Review of Education. Vol.21 No.1, 83-98. (Carr, 83-98) Grimmitt, M. (2000). Constructivist pedagogies of religious education project: re-thinking,knowledge, teaching and learning in religious education. In M. Grimmitt (Ed). Pedagogies of religious education (pp. 189-207). Great Wakering: McCrimmon. (Grimmitt,2000) GRIMMITT, MICHAEL (2000). LEARNING ABOUT AND LEARNING FROM RELIGION. THE PEDAGOGICALTHEORY OF MICHAEL GRIMMITT. Retrieved August 17, 2007, Web site: www.acu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/7884/Grimmittpaper.pdf ( GRIMMITT, 2000) Cole & Evans-Lowendes, W.Owen & Judith (1991). Religious Education in the Primary Curriculum: Teaching Strategies and Practical Activities. Canterbury Press. (Cole & Evans-Lowendes, 1991) Teece, Geof (2001). A Primary Teachers Guide to RE and Collective Worship . Nash Pollock Publishing. (Teece, 2001) Read More