The professional stance of ethics and religious culture teachers in Québec

In September 2008, a new Ethics and Religious Culture programme was implemented in Québec’s elementary and secondary schools. One of the main pedagogical challenges of this new course has been the requirement that teachers adopt a professional stance of impartiality. Teachers must refrain from shari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of religious education
Main Author: Estivalèzes, Mireille (Author)
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge [2017]
In: British journal of religious education
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Province / Religious education / Teacher / Neutrality / History 1980-2017
RelBib Classification:AH Religious education
KBQ North America
TK Recent history
Further subjects:B teacher’s professional stance
B Objectivity
B Impartiality
B Quebec
B ECR) / teaching of ethics and religious culture (ERC
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:In September 2008, a new Ethics and Religious Culture programme was implemented in Québec’s elementary and secondary schools. One of the main pedagogical challenges of this new course has been the requirement that teachers adopt a professional stance of impartiality. Teachers must refrain from sharing their points of view, so as not to influence students as they develop their own positions. This paper deals with the requirements related to this new professional stance, namely that teachers maintain a critical distance from their own convictions and values, respect the student’s freedom of conscience and religion to avoid any indoctrination, and play the role of a cultural mediator. This new requirement has not gone over without question. For instance, some educators believe that, in the name of authenticity, it is preferable for teachers to freely express their own beliefs, thus ensuring a transparent relationship with students. For others, as teachers are in position of authority in the classroom, it is very important that students feel free to develop their own personal viewpoint on ethical and religious questions without being unduly influenced. This article examines these different issues.
ISSN:0141-6200
Contains:Enthalten in: British journal of religious education
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2015.1128389