This research study deals with educators' experiences and daily encounters within two diverse school settings. Educators from both schools are from diverse religious, racial and cultural backgrounds. The study focuses on issues of social groups based on religious affiliations and was guided by theories of oppression and social justice. The following questions were the focus of the study: 1. What have been the experiences of non-Christian educators in a predominantly Christian school around religion? 2. What caused these experiences to be constructed in a way they did? 3. To what extent have the experiences of non-Christians at the school been similar to earlier experiences in relationship to religion in their lives? 4. To what extent are the experiences of non-Christians evidence for describing their situation as one of 'religious oppression'? A qualitative approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at one school and questionnaires were completed at the second school, as the researcher was unable to interview educators because of time constraints. The results of the research indicated that educator experiences differed from one school to the next. Although it is not possible to make a judgement about religious oppression based on such limited contexts, there is significant evidence of social exclusion based on religion at the one school. At times these issues are caught up in racial and gender issues, or issues between non-Christian religions. However, at the second school educators experienced a high degree of inclusion. The research raises questions about the ways in which schools in South Africa are addressing the constitutional and policy requirements concerning the acceptance of religious diversity. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

This paper is a case study in Religion in Peace and Conflict, in which the role of religion and religious expression in Swedish education is examined. The focus of this case study is on Swedish public schools. It begins with a literature review into the role of multiculturalism and cosmopolitan theories in Swedish government and policies with a discussion of how this extends into education. This is followed by an overview of the history of religion in Sweden and Swedish schools. The impact that different stakeholders, including teachers, students, administrators, and parents, might have within the Swedish school systems is excavated as well as the impact that the school space might have on integration. A field study in three different Swedish schools was conducted and is described in this paper. The results of the data suggest that there is a clear distinction between non-religious students and the religious students. The case study points to the overall finding that practicing religious students in the Swedish public school does not have the same freedom of conscience as the majority of students and that Swedish religion education is not neutral, as is the state intends. Some objections in regards to rights claims and majority-minority group dynamics are also explored and discussed.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 1994. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relevance of Biblical Instruction and Instruction in state and state-supported schools Africa is reviewed in this thesis. The various Religious in South education departments in South Africa have been presenting religious instruction from a Christian perspective in schools, especially since 1967. It is also clear from a demographic distribution of religions that most of South Africa's inhabitants belong to the Christian faith. People and pupils who are not Christians are exempted from religious instruction in accordance with the conscience clause. Because of changing political and social circumstances and school structures due to the implementation of statesupported schools, there has been a strong emphasis on the presentation of Biblical Instruction or Religious Instruction as a school subject. Aspects of this which receive particular the following: the relevance dispensation; attention of the in this thesis are subject in the teaching the legitimacy of the subject due to the negative experience of Christian National Education in the past; the lack of recognition of religious pluralism in state and state-supported schools in South Africa. The presentation of the traditional single-dimensional approach is investigated, but the possibility of a multireligious approach to address the problem is also explored. The thesis includes a theoretical study of international and national sources as well as an empirical survey conducted at 41 selected secondary schools in the Western Cape and Boland. Questionnaires were used for the survey which involved the following education departments: The Department of Education and Culture. The Department of Education and Training. The Cape Education Department. It emerged clearly from the survey that religious pluralism is a reality in state and state-supported schools. The theoretical and empirical studies also highlighted the following problems: the professional qualifications of religious instruction teachers; the child's religious potential and development which are not taken into account; the child's own religious experiences and experiences in the classroom situation which are not addressed; the issue of the legitimacy of the subject as a consequence of its historical context; the lack of relevance of the subject content; the interest in a multi-religious approach among the majority of teachers as well as pupils. The problems will not be multi-religious approach solved simply by in the schools. converting to a The problems experienced in the single-dimensional approach should first be addressed thoroughly. For a legitimate multi-religious approach, the following should be taken into consideration: the child's religious potential and development; the child's own religious and personal experiences; possible further in-service training for teachers to enable them to cope with such an approach; a change in the process of curriculum development in order to address the issue of religious pluralism; a new name for the subject. In this respect a name such as Religious Studies could be usefully implemented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die relevansie van Bybelonderrig of Godsdiensonderrig in staat- en staatsondersteunde skole in Suid-Afrika word in hierdie tesis in oenskou geneem. Die onderskeie onderwysdepartemente in Suid-Afrika het veral sedert 1967 godsdiensonderrig vanuit 'n Christelike perspektief in skole aangebied. Uit die demografiese geloofsverspreiding het dit oak geblyk dat die meeste inwoners van Suid-Afrika aan die Christelike geloof behoort. Persone en leerlinge wat nie tot die Christendom behoort nie, is gevrywaar van godsdiensonderrig op grand van die gewetensklousule. Met die veranderde politieke en sosiale omstandighede en skoolsamestelling met die implementering van staatsondersteunde skole I is daar 'n sterk fokus op die aanbieding van Bybelonderrig of Godsdiensonderrig as skoolvak. Aspekte waaraan veral in hierdie tesis aandag gegee is, is die volgende: die relevansie van die vak in die onderwysbedeling; die legitimiteit van die vak as gevolg van die negatiewe ervaring van die Christelik-nasionale onderwys in die verlede; die afwesigheid van die erkenning van religieuse pluralisme in staat- en staatsondersteunde skole in Suid-Afrika. Die aanbieding van die tradisionele enkelvoudige benadering is ondersoek, maar die moontlikheid van 'n multi-religieuse benadering om die probleem aan te spreek, word oak aangespreek. Teoretiese studie op internasionale en nasionale vlak, sowel as n empiriese doelgerigte steekproef is geloods aan 41 geselekteerde sekondere skole in die Wes-Kaap en Bolandstreek. Vir die doelgerigte steekproef is van vraelyste gebruik gemaak waarin die volgende onderwysdepartemente en privaatskole betrek is: Die Departement van Onderwys en Kultuur. Die Departement van Onderwys en Opleiding. Die Kaaplandse Onderwysdepartement. Uit die doelgerigte steekproef het dit duidelik geblyk dat religieuse pluralisme 'n werklikheid in staat- en staatsondersteunde skole is. Die teoretiese en empiriese studie het ook die volgende probleme belig, nl.: die professionele bevoegdheid van godsdiensonderwysleerkragte; die kind se religieuse potensiaal en ontwikkeling wat nie in ag geneem word nie; die kind se eie religieuse en lewenservarings in die klassituasie wat nie aangespreek word nie; 'n legitimiteitskwessie van die vak as sodanig vanwee sy historiese konteks; die afwesigheid van relevansie van die vakinhoud; 'n belangstelling in n multi-religieuse benadering deur die meerderheid van die leerkragte sowel as leerlinge. Die problematiek sal nie sander meer opgelos word met 'n oorskakeling na n multi-religieuse benadering in die skool nie. Die probleme wat in die enkelvoudige benadering ervaar word, behoort eers deeglik aangespreek te word. Vir 'n legitieme multi-religieuse benadering behoort die volgende in aanmerking geneem te word: die kind se religieuse potensiaal en ontwikkeling; die kind se eie religieuse en lewenservarings; die moontlike verdere indiensopleiding van leerkragte om so in benadering te kan hanteer; 'n verandering in die kurrikuleringsproses om religieuse pluralisme aan te spreek; 'n nuwe benaming vir die vak as sodanig. In hierdie verband sou 1 n vaknaam soos Religieuse Studie sinvol geimplementeer kon word.

<p>The research in this thesis attempts to select texts from the African American Spirituals and the Bible that are appropriate for secondary language arts instruction, specifically for grades 9-12. The paper first gives an overview of legal justifications and educational reasons for teaching religious literature in public schools. Then, relevant educational standards are discussed, and, using the standards as an initial guide, I identify common themes within the Spirituals and Bible, which, from my analysis of various literatures, are slavery, chosenness, and coded language. Next, I describe my systematic effort to choose texts from the Spirituals and the Bible. To help accomplish this, I draw primarily from two tomes: <i>Go Down Moses: Celebrating the African-American Spiritual</i> and <i>Biblical Literacy: The Essential Bible Stories Everyone Needs to Know</i>. After I describe the research process of selecting texts, I form judgments about which biblical passages and African American Spirituals are particularly worthy of study, along with their applicable and mutual themes. </p>