Religious education in state primary schools: the case of Catalonia (Spain)

Abstract

In a pluricultural and multi-religious world, with high levels of social secularisation, the role of religious education in schools (especially in state-funded schools) has inundated political and academic debate throughout Europe, which is becoming increasingly more committed to integrating, non-confessional models. In this context, it is essential to analyse how religious education is managed in countries whose relationship between state and religion is still firmly rooted (as is the case of Spain), and what the action of schools and families is in contexts where confessional religion is maintained in schools. Based on a quantitative study of 380 representatives of primary school management teams, it is seen that one in four schools does not teach any type of religion, either due to a lack of demand from families or because the school chooses not to do so. In addition, the study shows the practical limitations of the confessional model to provide a response to the religious and secular diversity of our time, as the implementation of minority confessions is very scant whilst there is a primacy of the catholic confession in the religion subject.

‘On Both Sides of the Strait’: Discourses and Policies on Cultural Diversity in Southern Mediterranean Spain

“…The border location also involves the presence of floating students in Ceuta and Melilla coming from the neighbouring Morocco, which is Muslim historically. Religious belonging becomes key to understand cultural diversity in some Spanish regions (Andrés y Giró, 2020;Garreta et al, 2019) like these two, located in North Africa, in the frontier with Morocco, where a considerable number of Muslim students are Moroccan descent whose mother tongue is not Spanish: 'in Ceuta, as in Melilla, we find a high percentage of the population whose vehicular language to knowledge is not Spanish. In the case of Ceuta, it is Dariya and in Melilla it is Tamazig' (MP1).…”

Reflecting on the Possibilities of Religious Education Research

“…To conclude, it is important to emphasize the need to analyze the management of religious education in countries where the relationship between State and religion remains firmly rooted (as is the case of Spain), and the role of schools where confessional religion has a presence in schools (Garreta-Bochaca et al 2019). However, for this analysis to be more accurate, it is necessary to contemplate not only the vision of parents, teachers (Olson et al 2020), legislators (Malizia and Pieroni 2019;Markoviti 2019) and religious confessions (Silhol 2019); but also that of students, who can offer a perception of Religious Education based on their experience as insiders (Khalid et al 2020).…”

Adolescents’ Perception of Religious Education According to Religion and Gender in Spain

“…To conclude, it is important to emphasize the need to analyze the management of religious education in countries where the relationship between State and religion remains firmly rooted (as is the case of Spain), and the role of schools where confessional religion has a presence in schools (Garreta-Bochaca et al 2019). However, for this analysis to be more accurate, it is necessary to contemplate not only the vision of parents, teachers (Olson et al 2020), legislators (Malizia and Pieroni 2019;Markoviti 2019) and religious confessions (Silhol 2019); but also that of students, who can offer a perception of Religious Education based on their experience as insiders (Khalid et al 2020).…”