Facing the religious dilemma in education

Simon Marcus Gower Director Research and Development Harapan Bangsa School Banten, Tangerang

Moral issues always have the potential to degenerate into a hazardous quagmire. The likelihood for disagreements to arise, and even the potential for conflict to rear its ugly head, is considerable. What one man deems to be his morality may be construed as immoral by the next man. The only way for conflicts to be averted is for compromises to be made, and shared values and norms to be understood and agreed upon.

Morality, then, can be a dilemma for us all. But should religion and religiosity be thrown into the mix with morality then inevitably you are brewing something that is extremely volatile in nature. This volatility is increased under the microscope of education.

The issues of morals and moral values have been brought to the fore recently with the House of Representatives' deliberations on the bill for national education. Within these deliberations the question of religion as part of schooling and moral education has been considered and by some it has been seen as an imperative, a "must" that has to be implemented and maintained. For others, though, linkage between morality, religions and education is an uncomfortable topic of discussion.

But like or loath them, the links between religions, morality and education are significant and undeniable and it is right and appropriate that the nation's lawmakers should be dwelling upon them. However, it has to be hoped that having dwelled upon them the lawmakers manage to bring forward workable proposals.

There is perhaps, though, a process of blame going on here. People have seen a breakdown in moral fortitude and rectitude in Indonesia recently and they are searching for answers as to why this could happen. It has been easy for people to lay the blame at the doorsteps of schools, where students often brawl and offensive and even criminal behavior, such as drugs use and pushing, is on the increase.

Add to the laying of blame the complaint of tardiness in teaching of religions and education has clearly been singled out as a primary culprit and so too a primary target.

But it is possible that the search for a scapegoat is distorting the picture and distracting from the broader reality of the problem. In this way the problem is being accentuated to the extent that it has been compounded to become a real dilemma. Educators and legislators alike are being forced into a predicament in which restraint in addressing the problem will be seen as not truly rising to the challenge and if action is taken the danger and accusation may arise that efforts are merely compounding the problem.

In essence the debate, (not to say argument) over the teaching of religion in schools revolves around the notion that the teaching of religion will provide some guarantee of moral correctness and instill within the student the values that society hopes and expects of its citizens. But can it really be claimed that religious education offers any degree of a guarantee of producing a moral and upstanding member of society? There can surely be no such guarantee. It is rather a reasonable hope that the exploration of religion will increase the likelihood of good moral attitudes and behavior.

A white supremacist in a southern state of America might claim to have had a fine Christian education but still hold morally appalling views. Likewise a Muslim may have attended an Islamic school only to retain hatreds that many would find morally wrong.

There is clearly a strong divide between religious education and religious instruction but there are those that would claim that the two are one in and of the same thing. That is clearly not true but those that believe that it is are probably those that would claim that religiosity in schools will offer some guarantee of morally correct students.

Religious instruction in schools could leave room for abuses and manipulations in which the development of moral character is no longer the aim of the education but instead control and coercion take over so that the student is merely required to obey. This type of "education" is surely the seed-bed of fanaticism and in turn morally wrong behavior.

Religious instruction alone may preclude understanding and true moral values. Religious education should offer the students the opportunities to explore and understand moral issues and questions from within the framework of the chosen religion. To philosophically, and with the stimulation of the intellect, consider our humanity from religious perspectives.

Religious education should not, also, be about religious isolation, and again solely contemplating religious instruction as part of education leaves the risk of religious isolationism. Of course, when studying religion at school one religion is the framework from within which study takes place but that religious education should not close the door on knowledge of other religions.

Education should inform and guide towards morally acceptable behavior. To inform students of other religions is to guide them to understanding our world, beginning to appreciate its complexities which includes its diverse religions.

As in schools in the United Kingdom, for example, it should be possible for a student at a Christian school to have as the center of his religious education study of the Bible and yet still learn of Islam and Buddhism and so on. Likewise a Muslim student's religious education would center on the Koran but could also appreciate other religions. This kind of education is not trying to convert the student from one religion to another but is rightly trying to educate of other faiths in our world.

Religious education is not, by definition, moral education. Students' morality develops from the home, and general society too. School is but a part of the moral network for young people. Indeed, it is an important part of young people's developing morality but morality cannot be imposed, dictated or forced through obedience. Morality is nurtured through experience and encountering moral behavior whether in the home, at work, at study or at play.