Religion in Schools - Controversies Around the World (Electronic book text)

Many Americans may believe that religion in the schools is a controversial subject only in the United States. But around the world, the subject has gained widespread notoriety, media coverage, and attention from governing bodies, school administrations, and individuals. For instance, in France, a recent conflict erupted when a young girl wore a headscarf to her public school. In India, a panel was appointed to remove Hindu religious beliefs from high-school textbooks. In Pakistan, the government passed a law to make the curriculum of Islamic religious schools more secular in its approach. In the United States, debates abound regarding the Pledge of Allegiance, the posting of the Ten Commandments, prayer in school, and other familiar arguments. But why do these controversies exist? What prompts them? Why do certain conflicts arise and what attempts are made to deal with them? How have solutions fared? How are the controversies in one country similar to or different from those in another? Here, Thomas uses case examples from 12 countries from around the world, covering all the major world religions and all regions of the world, to examine and answer these questions. He reveals the complexities of the conflicts and shows what brought them about. For example, in France, the conflicts often arise out of that nation's desire to remain intensely secular. Using the case examples and applying a uniform approach to analyzing each country's particular focus on religion and the schools, he is able to show what these conflicts have in common, how well solutions have worked, and what may lie ahead.