Facing the religious dilemma in education

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.