Institutional identity: A possible solution to the religion in/and education quandary

 

Institusionele identiteit: 'n moontlike oplossing vir die godsdiens in/en onderwys-dilemma

 

 

J.L. van der Walt

Faculty of Education Sciences, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, POTCHEFSTROOM. E-mail: hannesv290@gmail.com

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

The problem of religion in/and education is a worldwide one for education policy-makers - even in the most homogeneous populations. Several strategies have been developed for coping with this problem, but they tend to fall short in terms of finding equilibrium on the universal-particularity continuum. There is a way for attaining the desired equilibrium, namely to take account of the institutional identity of each individual school, and to allow each school community the freedom to choose the type of religion education that would be most suitable to its particular needs and circumstances.

Key concepts: ethos, institutional identity,  religion education, school, universal-particular problem

---

OPSOMMING

Wêreldwyd het onderwysbeleidmakers te doen met die vraagstuk van godsdiens in/en die onderwys - selfs in die mees homogene samelewings. Verskeie strategieë is al in die verlede bedink om die probleem die hoof te bied, maar hulle skiet almal te kort in terme daarvan om 'n ewewig op die universeel-partikulier-kontinuum te vind. Daar is egter nog 'n manier om die gewenste balans op die kontinuum te vind, naamlik deur met die gedagte van die institusionele identiteit van elke skool te werk, en om op grond daarvan elke skoolgemeenskap die vryheid te gun om die soort godsdiensonderwys te kies wat die beste sal voldoen aan sy eie besondere behoeftes en omstandighede.

Kernbegrippe: universeel-partikulier-probleem, etos, godsdiensonderwys, institusionele identiteit, skool

---

 

 

Full text available only in pdf format.

 

 

List of references

ABDOOL, A., POTGIETER, F.J., VAN DER WALT, J.L. & WOLHUTER, C.C. 2007. Inter-religious dialogue in schools: a pedagogical and civic unavoidability. HTS theological studies, 63(2):543-560.         [ Links ]

ANON. 2002. Around the world. Education journal, 63:19.         [ Links ]

BAKKER, C. 2002. Hoe geef je vorm aan de indentiteit van de school? (In Miedema, S. & Vroom, H. 2002. Alle onderwijs bijzonder. Zoetermeer: Meinema. p. 97-124.         [ Links ])

BAKKER, C. & RIGG, E. 2004. De persoon van de leerkracht. Zoetermeer: Meinema.         [ Links ]

DE WOLFF, A.J.C., DE RUYTER, D. & MIEDEMA, S. 2003. Being a Christian school in the Netherlands: an analysis of "identity" conceptions and their practical implications. Journal of beliefs & values, 24(2):207-217.         [ Links ]

DE WOLFF, A.J.C., MIEDEMA, S. & DE RUYTER, D. 2002. Identity of a Christian school: conceptions and practical significance. A reconstructive comparison. Education review, 54(3):239-247.         [ Links ]

ENGLISH, R. 2007. Irish freedom. London: Macmillan.         [ Links ]

FLITNER, A. 2006. Schule. (In Krüger, H-H. & Helsper, W., eds. Einführung in Grundbegriffe und Grundfragen der Erziehungswissenschaft. Opladen: Barbara Budrich. S. 181-190.         [ Links ])

FUKUYAMA, F. 1996. Trust: the social virtues and the creation of prosperity. New York: Free Press.         [ Links ]

GOODSTEIN, L. 2005. From mosque to steeple, faith rises. The New York times (articles selected for Sunday times): 1, 4, 23 Jan.         [ Links ]

HAGESÆTHER, G. & SANDSMARK, S. 2006. Compulsory education in religion - the Norwegian case: an empirical evaluation of RE in Norwegian schools, with a focus on human rights. British journal of religious education, 28(3):275-287.         [ Links ]

H0STMÆLINGEN, N. 2005. Mandatory religious education that builds tolerance: lessons to be learned from Norway? The international journal of children's rights, 13:403-412.         [ Links ]

JANSEN, L. 2008. Het verband tussen verbondenheid, verscheidenheid en verdraagzaamheid: onderwijsfilosofische concepties van een Canadees, Elmer J. Thiessen. DRS magazine, 36(1):14-16, Jan.         [ Links ]

KNIGHT, K. 2008. Universals. Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15182a.htm Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]

MACLEOD, M.C. & RUBENSTEIN, E.M. 2006. Universals. The internet encyclopedia of philosophy. http://www.iep.utm.edu/u/erubenst@iup.edu?subject=Your Universals Article Indiana University of Pennsylvania. http://www.iep.utm.edu/u/universa.htm Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]

MARTIN, J. 2007. The meaning of the 21st century. London: Eden Project Books.         [ Links ]

PLUG, C., LOUW, D.A.P., GOUWS, L.A. & MEYER, W.F. 2007. Verklarende en vertalende sielkundewoordeboek. Johannesburg: Heinemann.         [ Links ]

PROCTER, P. 2002. Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.         [ Links ]

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. 2003. National policy on religion and education. Government gazette, 459(25459).         [ Links ]

RORTY, R. 2000. Fundamentally flawed. Civilization, 7(1):79, Feb./Mar.         [ Links ]

RORTY, R. 2003. Religion in the public square: a reconsideration. Journal of religious ethics, 31(1):141-149.         [ Links ]

RORTY, R. 2004. Philosophical convictions. The Nation, 14:53-55, Jun.         [ Links ]

RSA see REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA        [ Links ]

SAMSOM, R.H. 1981. Om het hart van het onderwijs. Kampen: Kok.         [ Links ]

SINCLAIR, J.M. 1999. Collin's Concise English Dictionary. Glasgow: HarperCollins.         [ Links ]

SMOLLETT, S. 2002. Ontological status of universals. http://www.yellowpigs.net/philosophy/universals Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]

STURM, J., GROENENDIJK, L., KRUITHOF, B. & RENS, J.A. 1998. Educational pluralism - a historical study of so-called "pillarization" in the Netherlands, including a comparison with some developments in South African education. Comparative education, 34(3):281-297.         [ Links ]

THE PEW FORUM. The pew forum on religion and public life surveys. http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=153#about Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]

UNITED NATIONS. 2000. Earth Charter. Place?        [ Links ]

VAN DER WALT, B.J. 2007. Transforming power. Potchefstroom: Institute for Contemporary Christianity in Africa.         [ Links ]

VAN DER WALT, J.L. 2009. Metaphorical bridgebuilding for promoting understanding and peaceful coexistence. HTS Theological Studies, 65(1), Art. #299, 5 pages. DOI:10.4102/hts.v65i1.299.         [ Links ]

VAN DER WALT, J.L. & OOSTHUIZEN, I.J. 1998. A legal and philosophical perspective on the in loco parentis position of teachers. Koers, 63(1 & 2):89-100.         [ Links ]

VAN NIEKERK, A. 2005. Contingency and universality in the Habermas-Rorty debate. Acta academica supplementum, 2:21-41.         [ Links ]

VILAR, C. 2005. Real international statistics on religion. http://www.Religionstatistics.net. Date of access: 2 Jan. 2009.         [ Links ]

WILLIAMS, P. 2005. A high court history of church versus state. Case by case, it's a religious versus secular debate. US News 27 June. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8256763/ Date of access: 13 Jan. 2008.         [ Links ]

WOOLFENDEN. 2008. Review of Universals by Donald E. Brown. www.Ishkbooks.com Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]

WORLD FACTBOOK. 2008. The 2008. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/as.html Date of access: 26 Dec. 2008.         [ Links ]