The rights and wrongs of teaching rites of passage

Abstract

A number of the post‐1988 Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education recommend the study of rites of passage at Key Stage 3. For a variety of reasons the study of this topic is thought to be particularly relevant and appropriate to adolescents. This paper describes a qualitative study in a mixed comprehensive school undertaken to discover the extent to which adolescents regard formal rites of passage as relevant and appropriate to their lives. It focuses on 14‐year‐olds’ attitudes towards and perceptions of Christian rites of passage. The findings reveal that their attitudes and perceptions are largely negative and raise important issues for those teaching Religious Education. Firstly, there appears to be mismatch between adults’ perceptions of the relevance of Christian rites of passage and the reality for some adolescents. Secondly, whilst Christian rites of passage are viewed in a largely negative light the study reveals that there are other informal rites marking the transition from adolescence to adulthood which adolescents regard as highly relevant. Thirdly, the appropriateness of teaching rites of passage at Key Stage 3 in Religious Education merits serious consideration in that it can be argued that it fails to do justice to central beliefs and practices of the Christian religion and any other world religion studied.

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Notes on contributors

Linda Burton

Linda Burton Lectures in Religious Education at the School of Education, The University of Durham, Leazes Road, Durham, DH1 1TA.