Quebec's Ethics and Religious Culture School Curriculum: A Critical Perspective

Abstract

This article examines Quebec's lauded and influential Ethics and Religious Culture (ERC) primary and secondary school curriculum from a much-needed and seldomexplored critical perspective. It asks a series of interrelated questions: what are the ideological foundations of the programme? What is its particular understanding of the study of religion as a pedagogical act? How does the ERC curriculum view the place and role of religion within the history of Quebec and its quest for a sense of collective identity? In what ways does the ERC programme reflect and support a particular understanding of the common good? These and other questions will help focus discussion on the ERC programme as an interesting example of a specifically statesanctioned understanding of the role and place of the religious in a highly secularised yet culturally distinctive society.

Are the Profession’s Education Standards Promoting the Religious Literacy Required for Twenty-First Century Social Work Practice?

“…We are part of the world as much as it is part of us, existing within a network of relations amongst Entities that are reciprocal and occur in certain contexts. This determines and defines for us rights to be earned and bestowed as we carry out rites to country, self and othersour While from a European understanding of religion it is often questioned whether the spiritual traditions of Indigenous Peoples can be regarded as religious beliefs or practices (Boisvert, 2015), scholars of religion are increasingly acknowledging that "reducing the religion being discussed to the concepts and approaches of Western scholarship alone" (Joy, 2012: 103) is problematic in regards to other belief systems.…”

“…In the 21 st century, globalisation, migration and violent extremism have all variously highlighted the need for policy and practice approaches, as well as social institutions, which are able to both engage with religious diversity and manage tensions between individuals and groups who have differing or no beliefs (Ezzy, 2013;Hovdelian, 2015), even when there are low levels of active religious participation (Boisvert, 2015). This not only includes religions and beliefs who find themselves as minorities in new immigrant groups, but also the growing number of 'nones' or people who identify with no religion, many of whom have little knowledge or experience of any religion (Singleton, 2018) as well as some groups associated with mainstream religion.…”

“…In the 21 st century, arguably this incorporates potential for stretchy definitions of religion and beliefs as outlined above. This encourages understanding of religion and belief as lived experiences which manifestly affect the way that people live their lives (Schilbrack 2010) rather than as historic perspectives or cultural artefacts (Boisvert, 2015).…”

Do the regulatory standards require religious literacy of U.K. health and social care professionals?

“…The need to effectively respond to religious diversity has been proposed as a strategy for managing tensions between individuals and groups who have different beliefs (Ezzy, ), particularly in contexts of migration and globalization, producing greater plurality. This includes not only the decreasing numbers of citizens who have an appreciation of, if not active involvement in, the activities of established religious groups (Boisvert, ) but also the growing numbers who identify with other belief systems (Ezzy, ), including those who claim to identify with no religion (Singleton, ). For example, a 2003 European Union directive on refugees included the following definition:

The concept of religion shall in particular include the holding of theistic, non‐theistic and atheistic beliefs, the participation in, or abstention from, formal worship in private or public, either alone or in community with others, other religious acts or expressions of view, or forms of personal or communal conduct based on or mandated by any religious belief.

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“…The need to effectively respond to religious diversity has been proposed as a strategy for managing tensions between individuals and groups who have different beliefs (Ezzy, 2013), particularly in contexts of migration and globalization, producing greater plurality. This includes not only the decreasing numbers of citizens who have an appreciation of, if not active involvement in, the activities of established religious groups (Boisvert, 2015) but also the growing numbers who identify with other belief systems (Ezzy, 2013), including those who claim to identify with no religion (Singleton, 2018).…”