Primary and secondary schools in America aim to provide a comprehensive educational curriculum, fostering a lifelong passion for learning and knowledge. These institutions prepare students for life beyond academics, commonly called the “real world.” However, it is worth noting schools generally do not prioritize religious studies, primarily because religion is a subjective, complex and controversial topic. Students still need to have some understanding of world religions despite these challenges.
Why is it important to learn about religion? One compelling reason, particularly in the present era, is religion provides a universal framework for understanding how we should conduct ourselves as human beings and offers existential guidance.
A 2019 article in the academic journal Religions by John P. Bartkowski, Steve Bartkowski and Xiaohe Xu states: “One of the earliest studies to use national data revealed that parental religiosity, especially the frequency of couples’ worship service attendance, was associated with enhanced psychological adjustment and social competence among primary school-age children.”
Religion encompasses a set of fundamental principles based on morals, ethics and reasoning. People are instructed in these qualities and values to facilitate personal growth and contribute to a collective well-being. Religion also serves as a gateway to understanding our origins, providing insight into life’s experiences and the metaphysical — subjects not typically covered in formal education.
However, it is essential for religious studies not to impose any particular belief or dictate which religion students should follow. Instead, it should offer a perspective-driven approach to life, encouraging exploration and a development of understanding.
However, considering the vast number of religions and religious groups, how can educational institutions navigate this complexity? This leads us to an important consideration: the process and approach to teaching religion in schools. Before delving into that, it is crucial to understand whether students would benefit from learning about religion.
In school, other factors influence one’s learning approach, such as household, financial stability, environment, health, well-being and parental guidance. These factors, however, only scratch the surface, addressing material concerns. The psychological aspects, including motivation, determination, consistency and beliefs, also play a significant role. While these qualities and components are reinforced at school, they ultimately originate from the home environment.
The journal Frontiers in Psychology article, “Effect of Parental Involvement on Children’s Academic Achievement in Chile“, emphasizes this point.
“Parent-school partnership allows for the conceptualization of roles and relationships and the impact on the development of children in a broader way. From this approach, families and schools are the main actors in the construction of their roles and forms of involvement, generating new and varied actions to relate to each other according to the specific educational context. The main findings in the family-school field show a positive influence of this partnership, contributing to academic achievement and performance, among other positive consequences.”
Why is the home environment crucial to a student’s education? How does it relate to their learning about religion in school? To begin with, young children are naturally inclined to imitate the actions and behaviors of their parents, guardians and families. As Bartkowski, Bartkowski, and Xu state: “the frequency of parent-child discussions of religion was directly associated with several positive parent ratings of children (e.g., self-control, social interaction skills, approaches to learning). However, fewer of these findings surfaced in teacher ratings of child development.”
For instance, if a child grows up in a family where fighting, arguing and disrespect are commonplace, they will likely exhibit similar behaviors at school. Conversely, if a child is exposed to reasoning, patience and respectful behavior at home, they are more likely to demonstrate these qualities in school.
The same principle applies to religion. If a child is raised in a Christian household, they are more likely to identify as Christian, whereas a child in a Muslim household would likely identify as Muslim.
Implementation of religious education in school
Islam and Christianity prescribe different practices and beliefs, which may cause conflict in a public forum. Schools should not encourage children to believe in God but rather teach the general foundations and origins of religion and provide a general overview of how religion influences society.
In addition, educational institutions can be flexible and creative with implementing a religious studies program. Schools can conduct surveys, polls and confidential assessments, asking parents and students whether they are religious, non-religious, agnostic or atheist. After reviewing and evaluating the data, school districts can assemble courses to teach students about religion.
Secondly, age, grade level and school depend on the system’s complexity. For example, a primary school curriculum for religion could teach children about self. In Christianity, for example, the Holy Bible teaches the essence of God through the individual experience.
The article “Parents’ Religious Heterogamy and Children’s Well-Being” from the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion states, in part: “Representative data found that parental attendance, and especially high rates of couple attendance, were associated with enhanced self-control, interpersonal skills, and positive learning styles, as well as a diminished incidence of internalizing problem behaviors in children beginning elementary school. These results differed from those observed for older youth (ages 10–17) and young adults (18–23) for whom parents’ religious heterogamy did not significantly influence self-esteem or life satisfaction.”
Instead of directly teaching students about religion, schools can take the concepts behind religious practices and teachings and encourage students to express them through enlightened actions and behaviors.
Innovative approaches to religious education
One approach to religious education in schools is implementing courses creatively, aligning them with specific spiritual teachings. For instance, instead of having students engage in traditional prayer, they can be encouraged to say a daily devotional that references a divine power, such as God, in a personal and reflective manner. Educational institutions can also incorporate daily quotes from religious texts, like the Bible, providing children with subconscious exposure to spiritual teachings during this formative stage.
Additionally, children who belong to religious groups or come from religious families can enhance their knowledge of their faith through regular attendance at religious services, where they receive direct teachings, engage in spiritual practices and develop their beliefs. As young students progress through their academic journey, educational institutions can further deepen their religious education.
By similarly structuring religious studies courses to the examples mentioned above, many students will not only gain an understanding of spiritual concepts, but may also develop a personal inclination to seek a higher power, such as God, on their own. However, it is crucial to emphasize that implementing these courses is of utmost importance to raise religious awareness.
Issues arising from misguided implementation of religious studies
The improper implementation of religion in schools can give rise to several challenges. Educational institutions must recognize the subjective nature of religion. Specifically, many parents have their own personal beliefs and practices, even within a singular religious community. Some parents may teach their children their own beliefs exclusively, dismissing alternative spiritual ideas.
When schools promote a particular narrative about religion, it can distort the beliefs and understanding children have been introduced to. This can lead to miseducation, potentially creating conflicts at school and within families.
Improperly implementing religious studies courses can cause students to develop mixed feelings about religion, potentially leading them to distance themselves from faith-based subjects. Exposing students to excessive or inappropriate information about religion can also result in them doubting or rejecting religious beliefs altogether.
To teach or not to teach religious studies
Formal education has become increasingly secularized over the years, as religious studies are now almost entirely segregated from public school education. Designing a curriculum that explores different religious perspectives can encourage students to seek a deeper understanding of the metaphysical and presence of the divine. While some schools may offer courses that touch upon faith and the concept of God, this will not necessarily lead students to a personal connection with any specific religious denomination, particularly in a diverse and religiously pluralistic country like the United States.
A 2002 study entitled “Education and Religion” concluded, “The negative effect of education on religious belief occurs because secular education emphasizes secular beliefs that are at odds with many traditional religious views.”
This shift has contributed to a more inclusive learning environment, allowing students from various backgrounds to feel accepted and giving students the experience of being expose to a diverse set of cultures. However, it also sparks a debate about the role of faith in shaping the moral values of school-age children and young adults. Indeed, the secularization of the U.S. educational system has positively and negatively affected students.
Positively, it promotes inclusivity by accommodating diverse religious backgrounds, fostering a more tolerant and open-minded atmosphere. However, critics argue the complete absence of teaching spiritual or religious guidance in schools may leave some students without a clear ethical framework, raising questions about character development and moral values.
The impact of religious studies varies based on individual perspectives and the cultural context within different communities, but its reimplementation will undoubtedly open young students’ minds to an important part of humanity’s history and development largely ignored now in the public forum.
Featured image: Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Edited by: James Sutton
