http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8216-9277
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ABSTRACT
This article traces the Council of Europe’s work on teaching about religions and non-religious worldviews, regarded as an important contributor to intercultural education. It explains why studies of religions came late in the Council of Europe’s educational work and traces the development of a project which led to a Recommendation from its Committee of Ministers on teaching about religions and non-religious worldviews. It summarises follow-up work by the Council of Europe and the European Wergeland Centre, which led to the publication of Signposts. It outlines new research on themes identified in Signposts and discusses the relationship between intercultural education and studies of religions, in the context of the Council of Europe and responds to criticisms of its work. An account of the development of a new teacher training module, based on Signposts, is given. The module can be adapted for use in Council of Europe member states and in different settings, including university and school-based teacher training. An account is given of the work of the module’s writing group, its structure and chapters, the piloting undertaken and how it could develop. Finally, this article introduces the concept of ‘dialogical liberalism’, aiming to promote dialogue and discussion, rather than imposing equality.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. See Jackson (Citation2016) for the view that an inclusive religious education should have both intrinsic and instrumental (personal and social development) aims.
2. One of the present authors (Jackson) was asked to help organise the programme, with Dr Marianna Shakhnovich and Council of Europe staff.
3. One of the present authors (Jackson) was invited to take up a Visiting Professorship at Oslo University College, with a brief to help to develop the centre’s work in relation to religious diversity and education.
4. The conference included keynote presentations from Jan Egeland, Director of the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Institute, and Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe. One of the present authors spoke about the development of the centre idea and its potential contribution (Jackson Citation2009).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson is Emeritus Professor and Founding Director of Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, UK, and Visiting Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Education at Stockholm University. In 2017, he received honorary doctorates from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, and the Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo, for his contributions to international religious education research. His book Religious Education for Plural Societies (2019) is published by Routledge. Email: [email protected]
ORCID Robert Jackson http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8216-9277
Kevin O’Grady
Kevin O’Grady is a research fellow and former associate fellow of Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit at the University of Warwick, UK. He is a lead consultant for research for a UK-based charitable trust dedicated to promoting excellence in religious education. His book Religious Education as a Dialogue with Difference will be published by Routledge in 2019/2020. Email: [email protected]
