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Vital from the perspective of parents
Vital from the perspective of religious
communities
Significant indicator of the nature of religionstate relations
Vital in the long-run for promoting stability
and peace
Vital to development
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Importance as a matter of general education
Growing influence of faith-based movements
around the world
◦ Islamic World
◦ Significant growth of religious influence virtually
everywhere but Europe
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Global trend toward more politically
influential religious movements
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The Global Religious Landscape - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-exec.aspx
More than 80% of the
world’s population
identifies with a
religious group
Slightly over 16% are
unaffiliated, but many
of these still have
some religious beliefs.
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73% live in
countries where
they are in the
majority
27% are part of
religious
minorities
Denominational
minorities
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The challenge of the ever-new rising
generation
The greatest problems associated with youth
◦ Unemployment
◦ Radicalization
◦ Violence
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OSCE Project
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Background
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Fears
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Framing the Toledo
Guiding Principles
Human Rights
Framework
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Knowledge about other religions reinforces
respect for everyone’s right to FORB
It fosters:
◦ democratic citizenship
◦ understanding of diversity
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It can enhance social cohesion
Potential for conflict reduction
An essential part of a quality education
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Preparing Curricula
Preparing Teachers
Respecting Rights in the Process of
Implementing Programs
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Teaching must be fair, accurate, and based
on sound scholarship.
The learning environment should be
respectful of human rights and exemplify a
spirit of protection of rights and fostering
mutual respect
The role of families should be respected
Stake-holder advisory bodies
Appropriate opt-outs should be allowed
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Curricula should be developed in professional
and balanced way.
Open and fair procedures should be
established to allow all interested parties to
give meaningful comments and advice
Religious and non-religious views should be
taken into account in inclusive, fair and
respectful manner
Care should be taken to avoid prejudicial
material and to avoid reinforcing stereotypes
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Religious background of teachers can vary
Special challenges of teaching about religion
Two dimensions of competence
◦ Need for subject-matter competence
◦ Training in how to interact with students (and to
guide student interaction) in sensitive ways
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Teachers need to be sensitive to local
manifestations of religions and to current
local and global issues.
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General Principles Apply
◦ UDHR
◦ ICCPR, Art. 18
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Special considerations: state – parent – child
Article 18(4) ICCPR:
◦ “The States Parties to the present Covenant
undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents
and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the
religious and moral education of their children in
conformity with their own convictions.”
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The UN Human Rights Committee (General
Comment 22) has concluded that:
◦ FORB “permits public school instruction in subjects
such as the general history of religions and ethics if
it is given in a neutral and objective way.”
◦ It is permissible for public schools to be involved in
religious instruction. (Flexibility for different
constitutional traditions)
◦ Provision must be made for non-discriminatory
exemptions or alternatives accommodating wishes
of parents or guardians.
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The state is obligated to respect the liberty of
parents and guardians to guide the religious
and moral upbringing of their children.
This does not require state to provide a
system of education that accords with
parental beliefs.
But parents do have a right to object to
content of education that interferes with
teaching of their beliefs.
This generates withdrawal or opt-out rights
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Children have the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion.
CRC, Article 14(2):
◦ “State parties shall respect the rights and duties of
the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians,
to provide direction to the child in the exercise of
his or her right in a manner consistent with the
evolving capacities of the child.
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Teachers have the right to freedom of
thought, conscience and religion.
By virtue of having chosen to work in an
educational environment, some restrictions
designed to ensure the appropriate
educational environment of the school are
appropriate.
School administrators should avoid requiring
teachers to provide religious instruction
against their will
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Fear: Teaching about religion implicitly
teaches relativism.
Results of empirical study: taking world
religions course
◦ increased student support for the rights of others
◦ contributed to greater understanding of core moral
values shared across traditions.
◦ did not result in changing student convictions
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Where confessional religious instruction is
provided, students must be given opt outs
Neutral teaching about religion is
permissible, students may be required to take
the course.
However, assuring neutrality is difficult.
Cases have tended to find insufficient
neutrality, and to require opt outs.
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School administrators think program is
neutral, but parents see it as biased.
Parents may identify problems that officials
had not foreseen.
◦ Curriculum might have a proselytizing dimension
that members of the majority didn’t notice
◦ A teacher may not be sufficiently sensitive.
◦ Opt out can be a safety valve, when dialogue
doesn’t work
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Parents object to exposing children to
alternative visions of reality.
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Teaching about religion is crucial to help
promote understanding and respect for rights
of others in the rising generation
Vital for reducing mistrust
Reducing fears of threatened
◦ Minorities
◦ Majorities
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We all need to become good teachers of
respect for the rights of others as a crucial
foundation for sustainable development
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Humanists objected to Christian culture
course in Norway
Alevis objected to religious culture course in
Turkey
Problematic opt out provisions
◦ Opt outs should not resemble punishment
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Held—courses were not sufficiently neutral
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Sikh pupil sought accommodation to wear
kirpan (a ritual dagger)
Suggested accommodation: wearing the
kirpan sewn inside his clothing.
School officials rejected this.
Supreme Court: rejection of compromise did
not result in “minimal impair[ment] of the
right or freedom that has been infringed”
Court emphasized that accommodation
reinforces value of multiculturalism
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School prayer, scripture reading
Religious Instruction
Allowing use of school facilities for religious
groups
Release time programs
Funding of religious education
Religious clothing in schools
◦ Headscarf cases
◦ Clothing in physical education classes
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Private education (including religiously
affiliated education) is common in most
countries.
Such education can be confessional,
pervasively religious
Accreditation issues
Partial funding of non-religious aspects of
curriculum is common
Tax credits, tax exemptions