Towards religious literacy in South African schools: is the Life Orientation curriculum potent enough?

ABSTRACT

Owing to the mixed-bag effects of religion on society, and particularly South Africa’s history with religion as embedded in the oppression of and liberation from apartheid, a recent curricular review has seen the introduction of teaching about religion in the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum. From our standpoint as academics in Religion Education, we question whether the current curricular arrangement is potent enough to carry the mandate of the National Policy on Religion and Education (hereafter referred to as the religion policy) of promoting religious literacy. To answer this question, we subjected the LO curriculum to content analysis, assessing the underlying content and pedagogical assumptions within the frame of scholarship in religious literacy. While doing so, we make critical reference to the religion policy with the aim of reflecting on government’s intentions with RE in schools.

KEYWORDS:

• Further Education and Training Phase
• Life Orientation curriculum
• religion education
• religious illiteracy
• religious literacy
• religion policy

Acknowledgments

We declare that we have no financial interest or benefit arising from the direct application of this research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Its history is actually much longer – reaching back to the 80- and 30-year wars of the Lowlands in Europe against Spanish and Catholic domination.

2. Confessional Biblical Studies is an approach to teaching religion with the aim of making learners unquestionably accept Biblical narratives and act upon them, by committing to and participating in religious routines as devout followers.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maitumeleng Albertina Nthontho

Dr Maitumeleng Albertina Nthontho is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education Management and Policy Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. She holds Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Education Management, Law and Policy. Her research interests include Human Rights in Education, School Management and Governance, and Religious Diversity in Schools. Her fields of expertise are Education Management and Leadership, Educational Policy, Education Law and School Governance.

Richardson Addai-Mununkum

Richardson Addai-Mununkum is an academic with expertise in teaching and research in the field of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Presently, he holds academic position at the Faculty of Educational Studies, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.