Teaching Religion in Public Schools: Review of Warren A. Nord,Does God Make A Difference?

In this review of Warren Nord's Does God Make a Difference? Taking Religion Seriously in Our Schools and Universities, Walter Feinberg provides a detailed analysis of Nord's argument that the study of religion should be constitutionally mandated as a corrective to the overwhelmingly secular course of study offered in contemporary public schools and universities. Nord bases his claim on both constitutional and educational grounds. His constitutional argument is that, due to their secular bias, schools fail in their requirement to take a neutral stance toward religion; he contends that this creates a school environment hostile to religion that thus requires a legal remedy. Nord's primary educational argument is that religion courses are needed to counterbalance the secular bias dominant in public schools and universities. Feinberg delineates how Nord's constitutional argument fails and how his educational argument has serious flaws and contradictions. According to Feinberg, a stronger argument for mandating courses on religion in schools would be that because public schools exist in a religiously infused environment, it is important for students to be exposed to alternative understandings that promote reflection on and criticism of one's own beliefs, including religious beliefs. Feinberg concludes that if religion is to be taught in the public schools, it needs to be justified on civic rather than religious grounds.     

Privatization and Commercialization of Public Education: Consequences for Citizenship and Citizenship Education

My purpose is to examine and evaluate the implementation of market ideology and practices in education through the prism of both modern democratic theory and the discourse of rights. I examine the essence and defining characteristics of public schooling in modern democratic theory, explore the democratic purposes of education, and the unique mission of public schools. I also analyze the vision of public schooling that surfaces from the discourse of human rights and children’s rights, examining relevant UN declarations and conventions. I then proceed to discuss some major manifestations of markets in education, question their congruence with the democratic vision of public schooling, and examine their consequences for both citizenship and citizenship education. My conclusion is that markets in education, and the formulation of education policies and practices through decision-making processes dominated by business and parents, are not necessarily fashioned in the best interest of a democratic society.     

Ethnic Senior Schools,Religion, and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Korean Immigrants in the United States: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative case study examined the influence of the social support provided by attendance at ethnic senior schools on the psychological well-being of older Korean immigrants with limited skills in English, driving, and the use of public transportation. This study also sought to understand how older Korean immigrants' religion helped them to deal with the psychological stress resulting from living in the United States. Ten older Korean immigrants attending the same ethnic senior school were chosen for the study. Ethnic senior schools provide participants with opportunities to leave the house, to meet friends who can provide emotional support, and to have self-enhancement experiences. The participants' religion enabled them to appreciate their current situations, to feel protected and guided, and to serve others voluntarily. The results highlight the importance of older immigrants' attending senior schools as well as the importance of their religion in dealing with the psychological distress associated with immigration.     

NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES

The New Hampshire Community Technical College System (NHCTCS) began modestly as two small trade schools that were opened in late 1945 for World War II veterans supported by the G.I.Bill. During the next half - century , NHCTCS grew to seven postsecondary institutions , then consolidated to seven campuses of four colleges . These institutions have become larger and more sophisticated , have earned regional accreditation , and have expanded their mission gradually to include programs whose graduates can transfer to senior colleges and universities as well as non - credit continuing education courses and community services. Under the proactive leadership of a new 25 - member governing board and a new commissioner , the NHCTCS is poised to expand and intensify its mission in the next four years to become the primary entity to provide economic development and community development for the benefit of all New Hampshire citizens.     

Teaching about Islam in Secondary Schools: Curricular and Pedagogical Considerations

Current demographic trends are contributing to a rapid increase in religious, racial, and ethnic diversity in the United States. This article provides a rationale for teaching about religious diversity, particularly Islam, in public schools and the vital role religion has played in American history. The article provides readers with important information regarding pedagogical and curricular issues related to teaching about Islam in social studies courses and information on how teachers can establish positive relationships with Muslim students by understanding the requirements and core beliefs of Islam.     

Character education in three schools: Catholic,Quaker and public

Character education has always played a role in the purpose of schools. Most US states have a statement about character education as a part of the mission of the schools. This research studied how character education was perceived by participants in regards to school mission statements/philosophies, school atmosphere and curriculum in a Catholic school, a Quaker school and a public school. Using interviews and observations, the public school and two private schools approaches to character education were explored. Character education explicitly connected and applied from the mission statement manifested more fully in the school culture.     

Teacher pay and teacher aptitude

Can changes in teacher pay encourage more able individuals to enter the teaching profession? So far, studies of the impact of pay on the aptitude distribution of teachers have provided mixed evidence on the extent to which altering teacher salaries represents a feasible solution to the teacher quality problem. One possible reason is that these studies have been unable to separate labor supply effects from labor demand effects. To address this, I model the relationship between current salaries and the academic aptitude of future teachers (those entering teacher education courses). Using a unique dataset of test scores for every individual admitted into an Australian university between 1989 and 2003, I explore how interstate variation in average pay or pay dispersion affects the decision to enter teacher education courses. A 1 percent rise in the salary of a starting teacher boosts the average aptitude of students entering teacher education courses by 0.6 percentile ranks, with the effect being strongest for those at the median. This result is robust to instrumenting for teacher pay using uniform salary schedules for public schools. I also find some evidence that more pay dispersion in the non-teaching sector lowers the aptitude of potential teachers.     

民国浙江教会中学的宗教教育及其当下启示

宗教教育是教会中学必须一以贯之的教育事工,浙江教会中学也不例外。自20世纪20年代中后期起,浙江教会中学迫于社会各界压力,进行了调整改革,宗教作为必修课的地位被取消。但是,不管如何变化,宗教教育在学校教育中始终处于核心地位,而且特色明显,这对当下的中学思政教育具有启示意义。     

The Rochester Convention

This article identifies different types of religious education, as different countries and cultures provide different rationales for the appearance or non-appearance of religion in the curriculum of their public schools. It examines the nature of indoctrination and four principal ways in which indoctrination operates. The possibility of secular indoctrination is identified, along with the extent to which one type of religious education might be conceived as an antidote against it. It concludes that education about religion(s), as one type of religious education, is entirely consistent with democratic education in the public square.     

Catholic schools or school quality? The effects of Catholic schools on labor market outcomes

This paper studies the effects of attending a Catholic high school on students’ labor market outcomes. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I find that Catholic schooling is significantly associated with higher wages over the careers even after taking into account possible selection into Catholic schools with instruments. Using matched school quality data for public and Catholic schools, I further find that Catholic and public schools are different in various aspects of school quality measures and that these differences explain most of Catholic school effects. Among the school quality variables, teacher quality and the number of math courses taken are estimated to matter the most for students’ later earnings in the long run.     

医学还是公共管理学——对卫生事业管理专业培养定位的思考

文章分析卫生事业管理专业的历史和培养方案,发现培养目标为卫生领域的公共管理人才,专业核心课程为公共管理、医学知识和卫生法学类,主干课皆为公共管理学。随着社会需要的变迁,该专业的公共管理学科属性将不断加强。     

美国公立学校艾滋病教育及其启示

美国公立中小学校非常重视艾滋病教育：从小学阶段抓起,科学安排艾滋病教育课程,科学运用“防艾ABC”三原则,加强教师培训,及时更新教材,鼓励学生们做艾滋病病毒测试,撇开偏见,消除恐惧,重视心理辅导,避免学生受到心理冲击等。美国的做法对我国的艾滋病教育是可资借鉴的。     

Leveling the Playing Field: An Urban School System Examines Equity in Access to Mathematics Curriculum

This study measured the mathematics admissions process, the mechanism by which educators assign students to the critical ninth-grade mathematics courses, against a meritocratic definition of fairness to determine if this process denied access to students from particular segments of society. While controlling for academic ability, this study assessed if socioeconomic status, race, gender, and school assignment taken independently and in combination were significant in predicting which students were denied admission to Algebra I and Geometry. The findings of this study evinced that students who scored in the upper quartile in mathematics were not scheduled into the gatekeeper mathematics courses without regard to their socioeconomic status, gender, or school assignment.     

Shopping for schools or shopping for peers: public schools and catchment area segregation

Market theory positions the consumer as a rational choice actor, making informed schooling choices on the basis of ‘hard’ evidence of relative school effectiveness. Yet there are concerns that parents simply choose schools based on socio-demographic characteristics, thus leading to greater social segregation and undercutting the potential of choice to drive quality improvements. In this paper, we explore segregation by examining catchment areas for a range of public high schools in a specific middle-class urban area. We focus on socio-demographic characteristics, including levels of income, country of birth and religion affiliation, in order to explore residential segregation according to public high school catchment areas. Our data suggest distinct residential segregation between catchment areas for each public school within our data-set, particularly for the schools deemed to be popular and rejected, that may pose risks for broader equity concerns. We argue that, in contrast to market theory, even more affluent and active choosers are not equipped with information on the programmatic quality of their different school options, but instead may be relying on socio-demographic characteristics of schools – through surrogate information about the urban spaces that the schools occupy – in order to choose peer groups, if not programmes, for their children.     

“公共卫生安全教育”校本课程开发的结构与策略

我国史无前例的抗击“新冠肺炎”的全民战“疫”,正在书写中国公共卫生安全的历史。这一过程中所体现出来的中华民族独有的生命观念、家国情怀、公民责任、使命担当,将成为国家永远的集体记忆,具有无可取代的教育意义和价值。笔者从课程的视角分析了公共卫生安全教育进入学校的重要意义,提出公共卫生安全教育进入学校可以从短期的微型主题课程、中期的系列校本课程和长远考虑融入国家课程目标的课程构想,从组建学校课程开发共同体、使用课程开发的相关技术和以获得经验为主的课堂教学三个方面来保障公共卫生安全校本课程的开发和实施。     

The Role of Empirical Research in Informing Debates About the Constitutionality of School Choice

ABSTRACT

Federal constitutional law currently permits choice programs that include religious schools only if they provide parents with “genuine and independent choice”; as the leading federal case demonstrates, whether this test is satisfied is an interesting and difficult empirical question. State doctrine regarding establishment of religion can be similarly empirically informed. School choice programs must also be consistent with the education clauses of state constitutions, which require state education systems to be “public” and to meet quality baselines. Determining whether these requirements are met also raises many questions that empirical school choice research can address. doi:10.1300/J467v01n03_12     

Can difference make a difference? A critical theory discussion of religion in sexuality education

This article conceptualizes religion as a critical theory challenge to sexuality education. Religious views in sexuality education are often perceived as intolerant and incompatible with today’s progressive and modern society. This article engages with the idea that the inclusion of religious viewpoints on sexuality will challenge the efficacy of current sexuality education in Australia and New Zealand school contexts, to create a more contemporary and inclusive learning experience that caters for all students’ sexual needs and lives. Utilizing a critical theory lens, I demonstrate how religion can challenge dominant views of sexuality education, introduce alternative modes of content and delivering, promote critical thinking skills and more egalitarian ways of learning about sexuality. Drawing on data collected from Australian and New Zealand public schools, this article endeavors to reframe current discussions of the relationships between religion and sexuality education.     

ABSTRACTS OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, 1973‐1974

The ethos of the Enlightenment placed religious and spiritual concerns in a private sphere, while politics became a public concern. In this vein, many American educators, including John Dewey, have vigorously insisted that public schools remain free from religion while inculcating a common civic virtue. Recently, however, educational theorists and practitioners influenced by Dewey have worried about the public's lack of spiritual intelligence and have asked how democracy and spirituality might be reconciled within schools. I approach this question through an examination of Elmer Thiessen's Teaching for Commitment: Liberal Education, Indoctrination, and Christian Nurture (1993). While not a follower of Dewey, Thiessen's work raises important questions for those who follow Dewey and who are concerned with the relationship between democracy and spirituality.     

From access to quality: migrant children’s education in urban China

An increasing number of migrant children are involved in public education due largely to the policy for migrant children education outlined by the Government of China from the late 1990s. In this article, we describe the unique and often difficult situation rural migrant children face after they enter urban public schools. Drawing from the Theory of Inclusive Education and data collected at two public junior high schools in Beijing, we provide an in-depth analysis on migrant children’s education from their own viewpoint and from the perspectives of their parents, teachers, and school administrators. Our survey results identify the need for further adjustments of the existing education system which can help improve migrant children’s education in China. Findings also highlight the dilemmas regarding how to best meet the needs for teachers, migrant parents, and migrant children who attend public schools. In order to provide a quality education for migrant children, we conclude by arguing that there must be a three-pronged partnership to best accommodate the unique education needs of migrant children in urban China.     

加强公共艺术教育 完善中职课程结构

当前中职学校公共艺术教育的边缘化现状令人堪忧,中职学校重专业教育而轻艺术教育是违背素质教育的做法。其实,公共艺术教育的作用与意义是显而易见的,不但不妨碍各专业课的教学,反而有助于单一、枯燥的专业课的学习。公共艺术教育课程的设置以音乐、美术欣赏课为主,基础绘画技巧、乐理知识、观摩活动等为辅。要加强中等职业学校公共艺术教育、完善中职课程结构。学校培育创新人才,必须进一步深化艺术教育,严肃认真地组织实施《中等职业学校公共艺术课程教学大纲》,切实满足学生日益增长的精神文化需求。