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Should World Religions be Taughtto Primary School Children inPredominantly White, TraditionallyChristian Areas? A survey ofheadteacher attitudes in West WalesGeraint Davies aa Senior Lecturer, Trinity College , Wales, Carmarthen SA313EP, UKPublished online: 07 Jul 2006.

To cite this article: Geraint Davies (1999) Should World Religions be Taught to Primary SchoolChildren in Predominantly White, Traditionally Christian Areas? A survey of headteacherattitudes in West Wales, Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education, 20:1,75-87, DOI: 10.1080/1361767990200107

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Journal of Beliefs & Values, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1999 75

Should World Religions be Taught toPrimary School Children in PredominantlyWhite, Traditionally Christian Areas? Asurvey of headteacher attitudes in WestWalesGERAINT DAVIESSenior Lecturer, Trinity College, Carmarthen SA31 3EP, Wales, UK

ABSTRACT The 1988 Education Reform Act stipulated that the character of RE should'reflect the fact that the religious traditions of Great Britain are in the main Christian whilsttaking account of the teaching and practices of other principal religions represented in GreatBritain'. The Act did not, however, ask whether multifaith RE was relevant to primaryschool children in predominantly white, traditionally Christian areas. This article exploresheadteachers' perceptions of the relevance of multifaith RE. Attention is given to the viewsof headteachers in South West Wales about possible reasons for and against teaching worldreligions. It also looks at their views about which religions are most relevant to the primarycurriculum and about the balance of time which they believe should be allocated betweenChristianity and the other world religions. The article concludes that, although someheadteachers in predominantly white areas are aware of difficulties inherent in thismultifaith RE, it is seen by the majority as being both educational and relevant to the needsof primary school children in a modem western society, whatever cultural mix or lack of itexists in the school.

Introduction

One of the main stipulations of the 1988 Education Reform Act with regard toreligious education was that all new syllabuses should:

reflect the fact that the religious traditions of Great Britain are in the mainChristian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the otherprincipal religions represented in Great Britain. (Ch. 40, part 1, section 8)

For the first time ever, the requirement to teach religions in addition to Christianityhad become enshrined in law. Previous education acts had not had the same wideemphasis. When the RE-related clauses in the 1944 Education Act were beingdrafted, it was not seen as necessary to mention any religions by name. The

1361-7672/99/010075-13 © 1999 Taylor & Francis Ltd

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composition of the population was such that it was taken for granted that religiouseducation meant Christian education. Adherents of other religions (with the possibleexception of Jews) were few and far between and the church played an importantrole in society in general, with few people questioning its authority on matters ofimportance. However, during the years which followed the 1944 Education Actchanges in society, in educational thinking and in religious scholarship led to a shiftin perception of the aims of RE (Smith, 1990, p. 2). The situation in which thearchitects of the 1988 Education Reform Act found themselves was very differentfrom that of their predecessors in 1944. It was necessary for them to state that thecontent of RE syllabuses should include the other major world religions as well asChristianity. Before and after the 1988 Education Reform Act there has been adebate about the desirability of multifaith RE.

The Arguments in Favour of Multifaith RE

There are eight main arguments in favour of teaching multifaith RE. The firstargument is ably summarised in DES Circular 3/89:

The Government believes that all those concerned with religious educationshould seek to ensure that it promotes respect, understanding and toler-ance for those who adhere to different faiths.

The promotion of positive attitudes such as these is one of the fundamental aims ofRE today. Several publications in recent years have emphasised the role of multifaithRE in encouraging tolerance to people of different faiths (Schools Council, 1973;Department of Education and Science, 1985, section 1.2, p. 446; Wilkinson, 1989,pp. 42-43; Gower, 1990; Metcalf, 1993; Verma, 1993, pp. 23-24; Department ofEducation, 1994; Hughes, 1994, p. 13).

The second argument states that several world faiths are substantially representedin Great Britain and that each one should be given an appropriate amount ofteaching time. Not to do so would be to undervalue and undermine them. Hull(1994) has agreed that giving Christianity predominance meant promoting a com-petitive relationship between religions and the creation of a majority and a minority,a powerful and a powerless group.

The third argument maintains that learning about other cultures and theirreligions is essential as a preparation for adult life. As children grow up they aremore and more likely to encounter people of other faiths. Harmonious relationshipsbetween different religious and ethnic groups are more likely if world religions havebeen taught in an open and respectful manner.

The fourth argument is that a knowledge of the main religions is desirable ifchildren are to understand their national and their world heritage. Humanityextends worldwide and children have the right to know about the beliefs andpractices of others as well as their own (Cole & Evans-Lowndes, 1991, p. 51).

The fifth argument states that one result of the influx of adherents of non-Christian religions into this country has been the production of excellent teachingmaterials on the different faiths (for example, Read et al, 1986; Hammond et al,

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Teaching World Religions: Headteacher Attitudes in West Wales 77

1990; Grimmitt et al., 1991). Consequently, world religions can be taught in aneducational and exciting manner to children from the age of primary school entry.World religions are also UK religions and children have a natural curiosity aboutthem (Copley, 1997, p. 190).

According to the sixth argument, examining other people's beliefs and religiouspractices enables one to better understand one's own. According to Cole andEvans-Lowndes (1991, p. 51):

If we want to discover how beliefs and values are formed and how theyaffect people it may be best not always to start at 'home' where the processwas for much of our early lives. Looking at the unfamiliar may equip uswith skills and the curiosity to examine the things we know well.

The seventh argument states that many of the criticisms levelled against themultifaith approach have been shown to be unproven. Homan and King's study(1990) found that the charges of confusion, dilution, corruption, trivialisation anddeprivation of cultural inheritance were ill-founded. One of their main findings wasthat with careful planning these concerns could be averted.

Finally, during the past 30 years there has been a change in teachers' perceptionsof the nature and purpose of RE. In a modern western society a confessionalist aimfor RE is no longer seen by the majority as being desirable. Instead, RE is seen asa subject which should be characterised by a spirit of open enquiry. Today it isgenerally agreed that RE should make an important contribution to children'sknowledge and understanding of the major religions represented in Great Britain. Itis also generally accepted that RE should make a contribution to each child's searchfor meaning and purpose in his or her life. The Model Syllabuses producedby SCAA in 1994 endorse this interpretation of the RE curriculum with theirtwo Attainment Targets: ATI Learning about Religions and AT2 Learning fromReligions.

The Arguments Against Multifaith RE

The arguments against are less well developed and less well documented in contem-porary literature. According to Homan and King (1990) the following five criticismshave been made concerning the effects of multifaith religious education uponchildren. Their first charge is that teaching world religions might lead to confusingchildren. Confusion might occur in two ways: by 'jumbling religious knowledge andrendering it worthless' and by giving too many answers to questions of identity suchas 'Who am I?' and 'How ought I live?' Their second criticism of the multifaithapproach is that it might lead to the dilution of religions in general and in particularthe dilution of Christianity. Learning a little about a number of religions might resultin no real learning at all. The approach might lead to relativism—the belief that truthis not absolute but relative to particular societies (Barnes, 1983). Their thirdargument is that this approach might lead to a corruption of faiths. This is theconsequence of 'a relativism in which no one religion is enabled to prevail overothers'. Accordingly, it can lead to the corruption of religious and moral values.

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78 G. Davies

Their fourth charge is that multifaith RE might lead to a trivialisation of faiths. Theapproach is likened to a Cook's Tour of world religions which although extensive isnecessarily superficial and consequently worthless. Furthermore, they argue that thetrivialisation of faith might lead to its abandonment by pupils. Their fifth argumentis that this approach might lead to a deprivation of cultural inheritance. Accordingto this argument, it is the educational right of every child to learn about the faithwhich has inspired Britain's culture, heritage, laws and literature. Learning abouttoo many religions might lead to a dilution of children's understanding and appreci-ation of their cultural heritage.

To these five arguments by Homan and King (1990) we might add a further two.One is that time is at a premium in primary schools. To require children to studyother religions in addition to Christianity as well as coping with the demands of theNational Curriculum might be to ask too much. The second is that only a smallpercentage of the population of Great Britain belong to religious minorities. It mightbe more logical to say that multifaith RE should be taught in the small proportionof ethnic minority schools rather than to require every child to encounter the sixmajor faiths at primary level.

Research Tradition

Given the variety of theoretical positions and the value of teaching world religionsin addition to Christianity, the aim of the present study is to explore the perceptionsof those responsible for delivering religious education in the primary schools of WestWales, a predominantly white traditionally Christian area. A new empirical enquiryof this nature, however, needs to be set against the established research traditionconcerned with teacher attitudes toward religious education. This tradition has itsroots in pioneering studies reported in the late 1960s and early 1970s by May (1968)and Jarvis (1972).

May's (1968) nationwide study involved 3650 teachers in state-maintainedschools (71.1% response rate). May found that almost 95% thought that 'allchildren should be taught to know about and to understand Christianity'. Reasonsgiven for teaching Christianity were as follows: 'it teaches right values' (84.8%); itis part of our history (70.4%); national standards derive from it (66.6%); Christian-ity is true (60.0%); it helps people to be good (54.4%); and most parents want it fortheir children (50.2%). Interestingly, the survey makes no mention whatsoever ofthe teaching of world religions. This by implication suggests that for May like othersat the time, teaching RE meant teaching about Christianity.

Jarvis' (1972) survey of 320 junior school teachers conducted by the WarleyAgreed Syllabus Conference in 1972 (75% response rate) also found little evidencethat the teaching of world religions took place in primary schools. He found that theolder the teachers were, the more likely they were to include religious aims in the RElessons—communicating knowledge of the Bible, belief in God and knowledge ofChrist's teachings. Furthermore, the more religious a teacher considered himself orherself, the more likely he/she was to 'include among his aims belief in God orknowledge of Christ's teaching'. Jarvis expressed surprise that only 19 said that their

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Teaching World Religions: Headteacher Attitudes in West Wales 79

religious education lessons were designed to teach children to be religious and thatas many as 70 teachers included amongst their aims encouraging children to becomeChristians. When asked to provide details of the aims of their last RE lesson only onerespondent described it as being of a 'comparative religions' nature. Jarvis ques-tioned whether it was appropriate in a multicultural area like Warley for so manyteachers to aim to make children Christian. He also questioned whether encouragingchildren to become Christian was an appropriate aim in any school in any schoollesson. Even it were ethical, Jarvis doubted whether 'junior school children aremature enough to make decisions of this nature'.

O'Keeffe (1986) conducted a study into how church schools see their role in amulticultural and multifaith society. The research was carried out in 103 Church ofEngland and county schools (primary and secondary) in the Inner London Auth-ority, the outer London boroughs, the North West region and the West Midlands,including interviews with 102 headteachers, 67 religious education teachers and 139parents whose children were attending church schools. The understanding ofChristianity was seen as the main aim of RE for the majority of headteachers (84%)and was seen by them as being 'relevant to all ages regardless of background'.Christianity was the only religion studied in 51% of the schools and the content ofRE was bible-based in 59% of the schools. Two reasons were given by headteachersfor not teaching world religions. The first was that it was unnecessary because therewere so few non-Christian pupils in their schools. Secondly, many teachers lackedthe confidence to teach world religions. Where world religions were taught, teachersjustified their approach by pointing to the need to 'prepare all pupils for life in areligiously plural society'. Project work and stories from different traditions werepopular ways of introducing world religions. Typical themes for project work were'the way in which different families live and worship, the different foods we eat,looking at water and light and what they symbolize'.

Cox and Skinner (1990) conducted a survey amongst staff from five primaryschools in a town in North Warwickshire who were undergoing an in-service trainingcourse designed to increase their expertise in multifaith RE as recommended in thenew syllabus. The purpose of the study was 'to ascertain how church primaryschools in a specific area were responding to the challenge of multi-faith religiouseducation'. Cox and Skinner concluded that teachers 'thought that in the presentworld multi-faith religious education was necessary, and even inevitable'. Thein-service course had augmented their confidence in delivering such an RE course.Most teachers welcomed the new Warwickshire syllabus because 'it would open upthe subject to a range of studies of a wider and multi-faith nature'. Some feared thatit might be misinterpreted by parents and that some teachers would feel uneasyabout it. Others expressed a concern about the theoretical nature of the syllabus.There was a general feeling that the new syllabus would involve a considerableamount of work for teachers but most felt that it was a worthwhile exercise 'andwould be prepared to undertake it with both interest and enthusiasm'.

The present study builds on and extends the previous research in several ways.First, it looks at whether attitudes towards teaching world religions have changed asa consequence of the changes outlined above and as a result of the requirements of

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80 G. Davies

the 1998 Education Reform Act. Second, it explores views about possible reasonsfor and against teaching world religions. Third, it examines views about whichreligions are most relevant to the primary curriculum. Fourth, it states views aboutthe balance of time which should be allocated between Christianity and the otherworld religions.

Method

Sample

A detailed questionnaire was sent out to every primary, infant, junior and nurseryschool headteacher employed by the Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pem-brokeshire Education Authorities during the summer term of 1996. Of the 314questionnaires sent out, 204 were returned, making a response rate of 65%. Therespondents included 170 who taught in county schools, 8 who taught in Church inWales aided schools, 22 who taught in Church in Wales controlled schools and 3who taught in Roman Catholic-aided schools.

Nearly three-fifths of the respondents (58.8%) were female while 41.2% weremale. Two-thirds of the respondents (68.6%) taught in rural/village schools while athird (31.4%) taught in urban/town schools. The majority (83.8%) taught inprimary schools (i.e. schools with both infant and junior classes). One tenth (9.8%)of the sample taught in infant schools. A further 5.9% taught in junior schools andone respondent (0.5%) taught in a nursery school.

Questionnaire

To collect the data a detailed questionnaire which employed multiple-choice ques-tions and Likert-type attitude items was constructed. The intention was to obtainthe views of all the primary school headteachers in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire andPembrokeshire about RE. Since headteachers are required to provide leadershipto their schools on these aspects of the school's curriculum, the results of thissurvey should provide a clear indication of how schools as a whole perceive the roleof RE.

Part one of the questionnaire asked the respondents to provide information aboutthemselves including areas like age and religious affiliation and information aboutthe school where they taught. Part two of the questionnaire asked the respondentsto comment on a range of issues relating to RE and worship in the primary school.It asked for a response to 241 statements about 31 different topics on a five-pointscale: disagree strongly, disagree, not certain, agree, and agree strongly. For thepurposes of analysis the five categories of response have been collapsed into thefollowing in this study: agree, not certain and disagree.

Data Analysis

The data were analysed by means of the SPSS statistical package (SPSS Inc., 1993).

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16.518.429.3

11.015.419.7

72.566.151.0

Teaching World Religions: Headteacher Attitudes in West Wales 81

TABLE I. World religions should not be taught in West Wales primary schools because:

NotAgree certain Disagree

West Wales is a predominantly Christian areaAll religions are not equally validFaith is not a pick 'n' mix affairNon-Christian countries do not teach their children

about Christianity 17.8 29.9 52.2School is where the Christian culture is transmitted from

generation to generation 27.5 21.9 50.5Young children can get confused if they encounter

too many faiths 59.2 13.8 36.9Studying other religions might lead children to

abandon Christianity 14.9 20.9 64.2Christianity is the only way to the truth 16.0 26.0 57.0There is no time to do justice to Christianity let alone other

religions 40.6 16.8 42.6

Results

Table I explores the headteachers' views on the arguments advanced against teach-ing world religions in West Wales primary schools. These data show that therespondents' biggest concern was that young children could get confused if theyencountered too many faiths. This concern was voiced by over half (59.2%) of thesample. The concern expressed by the second largest percentage of respondents(40.6%) was that there was no time to do justice to Christianity let alone otherreligions. Few of the respondents (16.5%) felt that world religions should notbe taught because South West Wales was a predominantly Christian area. Three-quarters (72.5%) of the sample disagreed with this statement. Two-thirds(63.5%) thought that the area in question was now a multifaith area.

Two-thirds (66.1%) disagreed with the statement that world religions should notbe taught because all religions are not equally valid. A similar percentage (64.2%)did not think that studying other religions would lead children to abandon Chris-tianity. A small percentage thought that world religions should not be taughtbecause faith is not a pick 'n' mix affair (29.3%); because school is where theChristian culture is transmitted from generation to generation (27.5%) and becauseChristianity is the only way to the truth (16.0%).

Table II looks at the respondents' views on the arguments advanced to supportthe teaching of world religions in primary schools. These data show that the majorityof the respondents supported the teaching of world religions. Priority was given tosocial/ethical reasons for including them in an RE programme. Learning aboutworld religions was regarded as a useful preparation for life in a multiculturalsociety. Eight-three per cent felt that this approach would enable children to havethe opportunity to learn tolerance, respect and empathy. Similarly 82.3% felt that

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63.5

83.6

82.3

75.1

75.0

76.6

66.0

69.8

19.7

7.4

11.4

10.9

12.5

12.4

14.5

16.4

16.8

8.9

16.4

14.0

12.5

11.0

19.5

13.9

82 G. Davies

TABLE II. Reasons for teaching world religions

Agree Not certain Disagree

West Wales is now a multifaith areaChildren have the opportunity to learn tolerance, respect

and empathyChildren may move from Wales to areas where

other faiths are strongThis approach helps children to understand their world

heritageThis approach helps to prepare children for life in Britain

in the futureThis approach helps children to understand beliefs

and valuesThis approach helps children to understand their own

religion betterThis approach helps children to be open and to criticise

positively their own and other cultures

multifaith RE was important because children might move from Wales to areaswhere other faiths are strong. Seventy-five per cent believed this approach wouldhelp to prepare children for life in Britain in the future and 63.5% believed thatmultifaith RE was important because West Wales was now a multifaith area.

Most respondents recognised that there were educational reasons for teachingworld religions. Three-quarters of the sample (76.6%) felt that this approach wouldhelp children to understand beliefs and values. A similar percentage (75.1%)believed that this approach would help children to understand their world heritage.Seventy per cent (69.8%) thought that this approach would help children to be openand to criticise positively their own and other cultures. Two-thirds (66.0%) of thesample said that this approach would enable children to understand their ownreligion better.

Table III examines the respondents' perceptions of the percentage of time whichshould be allocated to the different religions within an RE programme. These datashow that three-quarters (75%) thought that an appropriate time allocation would

TABLE III. The time allocation for RE

Agree Not certain Disagree

Christianity 50% and other religions 50% 16.3 6.8 77.0Christianity more than 50% and other religions

less than 50% 75.0 4.1 20.9Christianity 100% and other

religions 0% 12.0 5.2 82.8An equal amount of time to the six major world religions 3.1 7.3 89.2

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Teaching World Religions: Headteacher Attitudes in West Wales 83

TABLE IV. Which faiths should be taught?

ChristianityJudaismIslamJainismZoroastrianismHumanismHinduismBuddhismSikhism

Agree%

99.688.174.6

9.87.3

15.369.762.563.0

Not certain%

0.55.0

11.433.733.732.110.014.014.5

Disagree%

0.07.0

14.056.559.052.519.423.522.5

be Christianity more than 50% and other religions less than 50%. In other words,the majority felt that Christianity should 'predominate' but that other religionsshould be allocated a reasonable amount of time as well. It is a view which impliesthat a thorough understanding of Christianity is desirable because of the role it hasplayed and is playing within the local society. However, this is not seen as beingenough. Learning about other cultures and their world heritage should also be partof primary school RE.

A small percentage (16.3%) felt that 50% of the time should be allocated toChristianity and that the other 50% be allocated to world religions. A smallerpercentage (12%) thought that 100% of the time should be spent on teachingChristianity—no time at all to be spent on world religions. An even smallerpercentage (3.1%) thought that an equal amount of time to all the six majorreligions was the most appropriate time allocation.

In brief, it can be seen that the majority of headteachers agree with the wordingof the 1988 Act about the teaching of Christianity and world faiths. They interpretthe wording in terms of devoting more than half of the time to teaching Christianityand the remaining time to other religions.

Table IV examines the respondents' views about which religions should be taughtin the primary school. These data show that almost all (99.6%) said that Christianityshould be included. There were varying degrees of support for the other faiths.Despite the fact that the Jewish community is small in comparison to other religionslike Islam, 88.1% of the respondents felt that Judaism should be included in primaryRE. It may be the case that some of the respondents (Cole & Evans-Lowndes, 1991,p. 43) regard teaching about the Old Testament as being work on Judaism. Three-quarters (74.6%) of the respondents thought that Islam should be included inprimary RE. Two eastern religions which are not commonly included in REsyllabuses were included in the questionnaire viz. Jainism and Zoroastrianism. Onlya small percentage thought that these should be part of primary RE (Jainism: 9.8%and Zoroastrianism: 7.3%). A third of the respondents (33.7% in both cases)were uncertain about their inclusion and over half disagreed (Jainism: 56.5% andZoroastrianism: 59.0%). A slightly higher percentage (15.3%) thought that

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Humanism should be taught in the primary school but once again a third (32.1%)were uncertain and a half (52.5%) disagreed.

Approximately two-thirds of the respondents felt that the other three principalreligions represented in Great Britain should be included in primary RE. Theinclusion of Hinduism was supported by 69.7%; Buddhism by 62.5% and Sikhismby 63.0%. For all the three religions there was a significant percentage of respon-dents who disagreed with their inclusion in primary RE. A fifth (19.4%) did notthink that Hinduism should be taught to young children and almost a quarterrejected the teaching of the other two religions (Buddhism: 23.5% and Sikhism:22.5%).

Discussion

Several issues emerge from these data which merit further discussion.First, despite the fact that children from ethnic minorities were not present in

most of the primary schools in this part of Wales, the majority of the respondents feltthat the teaching of world religions was an important part of the education of everychild. Teachers' support for the teaching of world religions has increased sincesurveys of this kind were first conducted. No mention whatsoever is made by May(1968) of world religions. His survey was concerned only with the teaching ofChristianity. Jarvis (1972), in his junior teachers' survey in multi-cultural Warley,expressed concern that so little work was done on world religions in RE lessons. Inan open-ended question which asked respondents to briefly describe their last RElesson only 42% described a lesson which has a 'comparative religions' aim.O'Keeffe's survey (1986) found that the main aim of RE for the majority of teachers(84.0%) was enabling children to understand Christianity. The content of RE wasBible-based in 59.0% of schools and Christianity was the only religion studied in51.0% of schools. The present survey shows that the 1988 Education Reform Acthas had a positive impact on teachers' enthusiasm for teaching world religions. Therespondents felt that learning about world religions was an essential preparation foradult life in the new millennium. It was seen as being equally important for childrenbrought up in a traditionally Christian area as it was for children in a multifaith one.Knowledge and understanding of other religions and developing empathy towardsthem were seen as essential for promoting harmonious relations between the manydifferent cultures which exist in modern day Britain.

Second, the main concern which was expressed about multifaith RE was thatchildren might become confused if they encountered too many religions. TheSchools Curriculum and Assessment Authority when it produced its model syl-labuses in 1994 was aware of this potential problem. The advice given was thatchildren should study Christianity throughout their schooling and a selection ofother religions at each key stage. Both the model syllabuses which they producedspecified clearly what should be taught about each religion at each of the four keystages. Any authority which is seeking to revise its agreed syllabus (as all are requiredby law to do every five years) needs to consider very carefully what children should

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Teaching World Religions: Headteacher Attitudes in West Wales 85

be required to learn at each key stage so that the danger of overloading the childrenand thus confusing them can be eliminated.

Third, shortage of time was another concern which was expressed by a significantpercentage (40.6%) of the respondents. Including other religions in addition toChristianity in an RE programme increases the content which has to be taught.Clearly, there is a greater need than ever before for the content of RE at each stageof a child's schooling to be carefully planned. Schools need clear policies whichoutline their aims and objectives for the subject. They also need balanced schemesof work which give details of what will be taught when so that the different elementsof the subject are taught properly and coherently. Furthermore, each school needsan evaluation procedure to ensure that both the aims and objectives of the subjectand the educational needs of the children are being fulfilled.

Fourth, although there was widespread support for the teaching of world religions,three-quarters of the sample felt that the appropriate time allocation for the differentreligions was for more than half the time in RE lessons to be spent on Christianityand the rest to be spent on world religions. To put it another way, the respondentswere keen for their pupils to learn about other religions but they were also keen forthem to have a more in-depth knowledge of one religion. This religion was Chris-tianity, the religion which is most in evidence within their own culture and thereligion which has played such a prominent part in the development of that culturethrough the centuries.

Fifth, when asked which faiths should be included in an RE programme the vastmajority felt that Judaism (88.1%) and Islam (74.6%) should be taught in additionto Christianity. It seems that the religions which headteachers are happiest aboutbeing taught in their schools are the religions of the 'people of a book'. The probablereasons for this are that they feel that their teachers know more about these religionsand that they are more comprehensible to children who have grown up in theChristian tradition. Hinduism (69.7%), Buddhism (62.5%) and Sikhism (62.5%)were deemed suitable for primary RE lessons by approximately two-thirds of thesample. Most disagreed with the inclusion of Zoroastrianism (59.0%), Jainism(56.5%) and Humanism (52.5%) in the RE curriculum. It is likely that most of therespondents are unfamiliar with these life stances and are aware that the numbers oftheir adherents in this country are small and are consequently not too concernedabout their inclusion in the RE syllabus.

Conclusion

The respondents gave a guarded 'yes' to the teaching of world religions in theprimary school. Teachers' enthusiasm for this area seems to have developed sincethe passing of the 1988 Education Reform Act. The complex web of social andeducational changes which have occurred in Britain since the 1950s have alsoundoubtedly affected attitudes toward multifaith RE. The respondents see theteaching of world faiths in addition to Christianity as an essential preparation foradult life. They do not, however, want children to be taught about other faiths at theexpense of Christianity. Knowledge about Christianity and its influence on our

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86 G. Davies

culture is still seen as one of the most important aims of RE in the primary schooland the majority feel that more than half the time in RE lessons should concentrateon this area.

Finally, these findings relate to the views of headteachers in West Wales. Furtherresearch is now needed in other parts of the country to establish whether these viewsare characteristic of those held elsewhere. Furthermore, in order to find out whetherthe positive shift in attitude to multifaith RE detected in this survey is a continuingtrend, this study would need to be replicated again in the same schools in five yearstime.

Acknowledgement

The author would like to express his thanks to the Reverend Professor Leslie Francisand the Reverend Dr William Kay for their advice and support on various aspectsof this study.

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