Religious and Cultural Diversity in Spanish Education

Abstract

Treatment of cultural and religious diversity is one of the most important debates in education, especially in societies in the first decades of the 21st century, in which globalization processes have led to increased migration. Different models exist for addressing religious and cultural diversity in compulsory education, linked to the different ways of approaching the integration of immigrant groups. The treatment of diversity, equality, and respect for fundamental rights are the axes on which most of these proposals revolve, which in the case of the religious issue acquire specific dimensions by generating a wider debate. In the Spanish case, the treatment of cultural diversity and, fundamentally, religious diversity is situated both within the framework of general conceptions and with particular elements. The contemporary scenario of how the Spanish educational system addresses cultural and religious diversity is determined from the particular features of Spanish education and the immigration “boom” in Spain in much of the first decade of the 21st century. The evolution of legislation on diversity, the fact that education is a subject for ideological debate, and the need to face the challenge of a new social structure because of immigration, together with the importance of the Catholic Church in Spain, determine to a large extent the way this country has addressed religious diversity. The treatment of religious and cultural diversity continues to generate an important discussion in Spain, based on different theories about the topic.

Atención y trabajo de la diversidad cultural: familias de origen extranjero y gitano en un centro de especial dificultad

“…Diversidad" o la "Inclusión". Es decir, tras todo el proceso migratorio de comienzos de siglo XXI, el momento actual ha llevado a la diversidad cultural a seguir centrada en necesidades educativas especiales, derivadas en ocasiones del origen socioeconómico, o también a integrarse en la "convivencia", como marco desde el que tratar el trabajo a la diversidad cultural Torrelles Montauny, 2022;Torrelles Montauny et al, 2022;Garreta-Bochaca & Macià-Bordalba, 2020;Andrés Cabello & Giró Miranda, 2020b) También se incidía en el papel de los profesionales vinculados al centro, desde la orientadora a la educadora social, aunque se manifestaba que era necesario una mayor dotación de horas de los mismos ya que se compartía con otros centros, lo que impedía un trabajo más cercano y directo. Por otro lado, al ser un centro con pocos alumnos, se contaba con profesorado de apoyo e incluso con dos docentes en algunas aulas.…”

‘On Both Sides of the Strait’: Discourses and Policies on Cultural Diversity in Southern Mediterranean Spain

“…The Caucasian group, majoritarian in Spain, identifies cultural diversity in schools only with the arrival of the third group since the 1990s (Andrés & Giró, 2020;García-Cano et al, 2018;Garreta, 2006;Garreta et al, 2020). This fact gives rise to a 'problematic categorisation' (García-Cano et al, 2018) that evidences 'educational policy as an act of white supremacy' (Gillborn, 2005; see also Fylkesnes, 2019), since there is on the part of Spanish academics, an appropriation of a discourse that is of Anglo-Saxon origin and links cultural diversity with migration.…”

“…The starting thesis of the research from which this article comes is as follows. In an increasingly multicultural world (Andrés & Giró, 2020;Diallo & Maizonniaux, 2016;Garreta, 2001;, education discourses and policies on cultural diversity have evolved from assimilation, segregation and compensation towards the ideal of interculturality. Despite this ideal, there is still evidence of those previous models.…”