According to the BBC, A report from England’s Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) says that Religious Education classes in the country “must provide children with a more sophisticated understanding of the subject in a post-11 September world.”
What does that mean?
It says teachers should include ways in which religion is not always a force for good.
I’m surprised that wasn’t taught before…
The BBC article states that the classes discuss religion in the context of contemporary issues and moral qualms, such as the War in Iraq. But you don’t get the full understanding you need to make sense of the impact of religion in our world.
One of the most radical suggestions in Ofsted’s report is that religion should be taught warts and all. The inspectors called on teachers not to shy away from controversy, but to accept in their classes that religion could be a force for bad as well as for good.
“Pupils should be taught that religion is complex,” says the report, “and should be given the opportunity to explore that ambiguity.”
And, oh, how many warts there are.
I do hope they teach about warts in several religions, not just Islam, which seems to be the focus of this article.
(Thanks to Ash for the link!)
[tags]atheist, atheism, England, Ofsted, Religious Education, War, Iraq[/tags]
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