Joint Seminar by CCE amd CRSE :
Pluralistic Perspectives on European Developments
in Religious Education and Citizenship Education
4 March 2009
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The Free University in Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Short biography of speaker
Wim Westerman was born in Indonesia and grew up in the Netherlands. He was trained as a teacher and studied philosophy and history of education at the Free University in Amsterdam. He has worked in primary and secondary education, in initial and in-service teacher training, and as educational consultant for teacher training, intercultural educational programs, special educational programs for ethnic minorities groups such as Moluccans (former Indonesians) and Chinese. For more than 25 years his work has been especially focused on religious education and citizenship education in plural societies. As a staff member of the volunteer organization Educa Transfer Projects (ETP), he has been involved in educational projects in Eastern Europe, the post-Soviet states, Africa, Asia and South America. He is chairman of the Chinese Saturday school Kai Wah in Amsterdam and also chairs the European Association for World Religions in Education (EAWRE).
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Abstract
Different interpretations of the principle of separation between state and religion resulted in a variety of schooling systems and approaches to religious education (RE) in Europe. The revival of religion after 1989 in the post-Soviet bloc, and then 9/11, have resulted in a growing political interest in education in general and RE in particular. However, most politicians prefer neutral information about religions and non-religious worldviews and promote the idea of information about religions as a component of intercultural and / or citizenship education. In some situations citizenship education veers dangerously towards ‘nationalism’. Reflection is needed on the role of the school in assisting children in their development. Children bring their ‘religious’ capital from home to school and need to develop a ‘religious’ identity of their own that enables them to become positive and critical citizens in a culturally pluralistic society.
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