The teaching of religion in the primary classroom : an overview of the issues and prospects

Abstract

Religious Education is one of the subjects that is included in the curriculum of most Primary Schools of Europe. Lately, especially at a national level, this scholastic discipline has been at the centre of a number of controversies, including whether it should remain as one of the core curricular subjects and whether the subject should have formal assessment. Education has undergone various changes throughout the years, both in subjects being taught and the methodology of teaching. This dissertation researches the reasons behind the inclusion of Religious Education in schools’ curricula and how societal and educational changes continue to shape it. The first part of the study gives an overview of the historical background and development of the teaching of Religious Education. The history of Religious Education is necessary to obtain a better background in order to understand the complexity of the subject and the contemporary issues encompassing it. Furthermore, it explores how modern challenges, namely globalisation, pluralism and secularisation, are affecting this curricular subject. Finally, the dissertation analyses how the subject is developing and changing in European countries, including Malta, in order to address challenges brought along by modernisation.