Public School Religious Education
Isn't that amazing - for a change, the Province of Quebec has embarked on a social enterprise that is timely and needed; promising for the future in an increasingly multicultural society that welcomes immigrants from all over the world. In the process of which, the indigenous society of mostly French Canadian Quebecois whose Roman Catholic background still informs their values and ethics (although formal religion has been relinquished to the greater goal of sovereignty), irritations have erupted from time to time between the Quebecois and the immigrant communities.
In the interests of attempting a solution to that ongoing situation of social irritations, the government of Quebec has determined that it might be provident to ensure that all elements of society become more familiar with one another's cultural and religious traditions. To encourage enlightenment and understanding between currently semi-hostile groups. It's a mature decision, a wise one. To expose young people from an early age to the history and background and living presence of people like themselves, but with different views.
To emancipate young minds from the indoctrination that many receive through the rigid auspices of a particular religion, given to excluding the possibility that other religions and their adherents might be as legitimate as their own. Given the human propensity to believe that whatever group one is a part of is, ipso facto, preferable and superior to others, beyond question. So, predictably, this initiative hasn't been received with favour by all those targeted.
And so it is that the president of the Quebec Association of Catholic Parents has proclaimed that the Ethics and Religious Culture course recently introduced into the Quebec educational system "is forcing children to learn the content of other religions". Oh dear, how perfectly awful, to prod receptively curious and resilient young minds to consider the world around them of human relations and social interactions and how they may best understand both.
"Therefore" Jean Morse-Chevrier thundered "it is the state deciding what religious content will be learned, at what age, and that is totally overriding the parents' authority and role." Why, however, would any well-balanced, intelligent parent not wish his children to become intelligently versed in these surface differences between people? Why denounce a perfectly good initiative undertaken by the authorities who devise curriculum to stimulate discussion and thoughtful consideration of others?
This represents as a useful attempt at enlightening a future generation of citizens within a free and pluralistic society that celebrates equality and balance of opportunities. The curriculum has been devised to be presented to children from grades 1 through 11. Placing the greatest emphasis, fairly enough, on what presents as Quebec's traditional religious heritage; Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and traditional aboriginal spirituality.
Introducing to this original grouping, the full spectrum of religious and belief systems encompassing the world order. This was not meant to be a religious instruction course, but rather a course in understanding and appreciating other cultures than one's own, seen through the lens of religious teaching. For the ultimate purpose of teaching respect for others, through the exercise of intelligent observation and conscience; piquing an interest in others, not stultifying in an ignorant absorption of the familiar, with a smug disinterest in others.
While most students and their parents in the province find this new curriculum useful as a social integrating tool, and at the same time advancing children's education in many ways, there are those who are outraged at what they determine to be a usurping of parental responsibilities. And who encourage their children - generally those in the upper grades, and of high school age - to dissent, and to absent themselves from these classes.
Some, indeed, have undertaken to not only boycott the mandatory course, but to launch legal challenges to the right of the province and the school boards to introduce the program and insist that all children take part in it. The course is also mandatory in private schools. Loyola High School in Montreal has launched its own court challenge, after parents of hundreds of students sought course exemptions which were denied.
Small minds, closed minds refusing to admit to the usefulness of opening their children's minds to the complexity of the social world we all inhabit.
In the interests of attempting a solution to that ongoing situation of social irritations, the government of Quebec has determined that it might be provident to ensure that all elements of society become more familiar with one another's cultural and religious traditions. To encourage enlightenment and understanding between currently semi-hostile groups. It's a mature decision, a wise one. To expose young people from an early age to the history and background and living presence of people like themselves, but with different views.
To emancipate young minds from the indoctrination that many receive through the rigid auspices of a particular religion, given to excluding the possibility that other religions and their adherents might be as legitimate as their own. Given the human propensity to believe that whatever group one is a part of is, ipso facto, preferable and superior to others, beyond question. So, predictably, this initiative hasn't been received with favour by all those targeted.
And so it is that the president of the Quebec Association of Catholic Parents has proclaimed that the Ethics and Religious Culture course recently introduced into the Quebec educational system "is forcing children to learn the content of other religions". Oh dear, how perfectly awful, to prod receptively curious and resilient young minds to consider the world around them of human relations and social interactions and how they may best understand both.
"Therefore" Jean Morse-Chevrier thundered "it is the state deciding what religious content will be learned, at what age, and that is totally overriding the parents' authority and role." Why, however, would any well-balanced, intelligent parent not wish his children to become intelligently versed in these surface differences between people? Why denounce a perfectly good initiative undertaken by the authorities who devise curriculum to stimulate discussion and thoughtful consideration of others?
This represents as a useful attempt at enlightening a future generation of citizens within a free and pluralistic society that celebrates equality and balance of opportunities. The curriculum has been devised to be presented to children from grades 1 through 11. Placing the greatest emphasis, fairly enough, on what presents as Quebec's traditional religious heritage; Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and traditional aboriginal spirituality.
Introducing to this original grouping, the full spectrum of religious and belief systems encompassing the world order. This was not meant to be a religious instruction course, but rather a course in understanding and appreciating other cultures than one's own, seen through the lens of religious teaching. For the ultimate purpose of teaching respect for others, through the exercise of intelligent observation and conscience; piquing an interest in others, not stultifying in an ignorant absorption of the familiar, with a smug disinterest in others.
While most students and their parents in the province find this new curriculum useful as a social integrating tool, and at the same time advancing children's education in many ways, there are those who are outraged at what they determine to be a usurping of parental responsibilities. And who encourage their children - generally those in the upper grades, and of high school age - to dissent, and to absent themselves from these classes.
Some, indeed, have undertaken to not only boycott the mandatory course, but to launch legal challenges to the right of the province and the school boards to introduce the program and insist that all children take part in it. The course is also mandatory in private schools. Loyola High School in Montreal has launched its own court challenge, after parents of hundreds of students sought course exemptions which were denied.
Small minds, closed minds refusing to admit to the usefulness of opening their children's minds to the complexity of the social world we all inhabit.
Labels: Canada, Human Relations, Realities
posted by Pieface @ 6:34 PM
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