Foreseeing a Religious Educational Program for a Local Church

The members of the Editorial Staff and Committee invite the readers of Religious Education to participate in the Forum. Let us know what you think about the articles appearing in the journal. If you feel we are over‐emphasizing some fields and under‐emphasizing others — tell us. If you feel that we are failing to get at some of the things we should be handling, discuss them through this section of the journal. We will welcome your cooperation and participation.     

A Framework for Religious Education

Religious education is not compulsory for pupils in special schools and its curriculum content is not laid down in the National Curriculum but Erica Brown believes that the spiritual and religious development of all pupils with special educational needs must be encouraged. She is director of special educational needs, The National Society, Church House, Westminster, responsible for in-service training for church schools in England and Wales, and editor of RESPECT, a bi-annual journal for teachers of RE to pupils with special educational needs.     

由强化到弱化:近代中国教会大学宗教元素变化研究

在20世纪初,教会大学曾经在中国占据了很重要的位置,对中国高等教育发展起到了很大的推动作用。教会大学在融入中国教育体系的过程中,办学宗旨、宗教课程、宗教活动、基督徒人数等宗教元素逐渐弱化。采用文献法对教会大学宗教元素的弱化过程进行分析,有助于了解近代中国高等教育的生态环境与发展状况。     

Critical Religious Education and the National Framework for Religious Education in England and Wales

In our teaching, research, and community service, both of us have sought to engage and extend the work of interfaith education. We write from our perspectives as a Jewish educator and as a Christian educator. Both of us have experienced the gifts and challenges this work engenders. The purpose of this article is simple: to offer a typology for understanding several of the active strategies for interfaith education. By demonstrating some of its strengths and challenges, we hope to spark a discussion and generate new practices.     

Political Perspectives on Church Schools and Religious Education: A discussion of the period from Thatcher to Blair

Making use of material written by British prime ministers, a case is presented for understanding church schools and religious education in a way distinct from that normally utilised in academic discourse. Politicians in democratic countries depend on attracting votes to assume power. They therefore integrate church schools and religious education within existing political positions. Conservative politicans see church schools as being an example of parental choice and religious education as being an aid to moral education. Labour politicians see church schools as contributing to a pluralistic society and aiding the cultural identity of ethnic groups.     

Moral and Religious Education for Nigeria

Abstract

The paper considers moral and religious education programmes appropriate for Nigeria. Starting with a brief analysis of the current crisis in moral, spiritual and political beliefs, the paper progresses by analysing traditional Nigerian education and the approach to moral education which it advocated. It then analyses the epistemological underpinnings of traditional moral education as well as the social institutions supporting it. A brief section outlining certain shortcomings in traditional education follows. This is then followed by a consideration of contemporary approaches to both moral and religious education by focussing on the question of the possible independence of moral from religious education. Having agreed with certain writers that the two are independent, the paper concludes with a sub‐section on the aims of moral education as a distinct activity.