Religious Diversity and Intercultural Education: a Reference Book for Schools

This book is the result of the Council of Europe’s project to look at the religious dimension of intercultural education. The project began after the events of 9/11 when the Council decided that it could no longer ignore the plurality and importance of the religions represented in Europe in its work to promote intercultural education in Europe’s schools. The book is a collaboration of the efforts of many people across Europe.

Members of the RE community in the UK have played a prominent role in its preparation. Professor Bob Jackson, Amy Whittall and Kevin O’Grady (two of his students) at the University of Warwick, Lat Blaylock and Naina Parma from the Professional Council for RE (now NATRE) contributed articles and examples; and John Keast (formerly of the QCA and now adviser to the Department for Education) edited the text. There is an introduction from Dr Cesar Birzea, who sits on the Council’s Education Committee as a representative from Rumania. Other contributors include Peter Schreiner from the Comenius Institute in Munster and who is Secretary of the Coordinating Group for RE in Europe (CoGREE), Heid Leganger Krogstad from Norway, Albert Raasch from Germany, Micheline Rey from Switzerland and Micheline Milot from Quebec.

The book sets out some theoretical issues and concepts that underpin dealing with religious diversity in intercultural education, then moves to some important pedagogical considerations and approaches. There follows a small but important section on whole school issues, and the book ends with some examples of current practice in European schools that are offered not as models of good practice but to aid a reflective approach to one’s own practice.

Details:

Council of Europe Publishing
ISBN: 978-92-871-6223-6
Price 15 euros or US$25