The right to opt out: a comparative analysis of exemption schemes in Scandinavian public schools and the impact of cultural bias
As societies become increasingly diverse, questions arise about how the state can accommodate cultural and religious plurality while safeguarding fundamental human rights, such as freedom of religion and the right to education. Despite contextual variations, many states and education systems are aff...
| Subtitles: | Localities and regions in religions and worldviews education |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal of beliefs and values
Year: 2025, Volume: 46, Issue: 3, Pages: 539-553 |
| Further subjects: | B
Religious Education
B Human Rights B Exemption B Scandinavia |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | As societies become increasingly diverse, questions arise about how the state can accommodate cultural and religious plurality while safeguarding fundamental human rights, such as freedom of religion and the right to education. Despite contextual variations, many states and education systems are affected by common supranational processes and face many of the same legislative challenges in drawing boundaries between what is considered religion and non-religion in public schools and in identifying those subjects and activities from which pupils should be entitled to exemption based on their religious backgrounds or worldviews. Through a comparative analysis of the exemption schemes in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, we explore the intersections between religion, law, and education, and discuss the interplay between national legislation and international law in the three countries’ school systems. By comparing the national jurisdictions in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, we examine different exemption procedures and discuss how religion and religious rights are understood and regulated legally, negotiated educationally, and adapted domestically. The analysis shows that Scandinavian public schools’ exemption schemes, deeply intertwined with Christianity’s influence, exhibit varying degrees of accommodating pupils’ and parents’ rights to opt out of religious education and activities, reflecting differing national approaches to religious and philosophical convictions. In this article, we examine the interplay between state, religion, and education in the context of religious education and exemption schemes in three Scandinavian countries – Norway, Sweden, and Denmark – each of which has adopted distinct approaches despite the three countries’ historical, cultural, and legislative ties. These differences have been shaped by various factors, including each country’s unique history with the Lutheran Church, its secularisation process, and its responses to international human rights obligations, particularly the right to education and freedom of religion. These varied approaches reflect the broader challenges in accommodating religious diversity and human rights in education systems increasingly influenced by secularisation, pluralisation, and globalisation. The analysis highlights the complexity of integrating international human rights standards with national education policies, particularly concerning religious education and the rights of parents and pupils. The three Scandinavian cases illustrate diverse strategies for navigating these issues, and demonstrate how religion and religious rights are understood culturally, regulated legally, negotiated educationally, and adapted domestically. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9362 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of beliefs and values
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2025.2451525 |
