Religion or ethics?
That is the question.
This is no discussion about English literature, but a reflection on a direct question posed last week to yours truly. I know this question is also asked of thousands of Australian parents every year.
The context is a common one. I wanted to enrol my kids to a primary school next year, in a public school, that is a government one. I was discussing my application to the school principal, an amiable lady who happened to also be Maltese-Australian like myself, and we reached a stage where I was asked whether I wanted my kids to be taught religion or ethics. She continued that if I chose religion, I needed to choose one of the prescribed religions, which from memory were Catholic, Islam, Buddhism and Hindu.
With all this choice, everyone should be happy. So why am I not?
It's quite simple really. Why should I have to choose? Why can't my kids learn about both religion and ethics? And if they learn religion, why should they learn about one religion and nothing about the others?
There is a practical limitation, as lessons are half an hour each, and the religion lesson takes place at the same time as that for ethics. A student cannot be in two different places at one, is it not?
Well, not if they are consecutive.
Also the lessons on religion are carried out by organisations tied to each particular religion, and so naturally only teach that religion only. If you nominate a particular religion, you can only learn on that single one.
Cannot the allocated time be split between the religions, at least the major ones, one time for one and another time for another?
I find it amazing that in the 21st century, we still think it is a good idea to divide the next generation from a young age, perhaps having already made friends, on the basis of the religion or beliefs they hold (or rather the ones their parents hold). We think it is well and good not to care about what others think or believe or not believe, when we know that ignorance often leads to suspicion, hatred and division.
Us and them. As long as we learn others, what should we care about anybody else's? As I heard in a church sermon some years ago, ours is surely correct, that of everyone else's is mistaken, obviously.
This to me is nothing more than indoctrination and intolerance.
In my opinion, a solution exists if there is a will, and this will has to be political as the problem arises from the law.
The solution would be:
•there be one subject called Religion and Ethics, the session being for a total of one hour as per current law. The aim would be for students to be taught the principles of the main religions and other ones relevant to students in the class, together with ethical considerations in a secular environment;
•students all attend together, so that today they read about the framework of their faith, and tomorrow that of their friends';
•being clear that the aim of the session is educational and informative, not that of conversion, to assure parents.
I am convinced that in this way, students would firstly learn the basis of faith, not only theirs but also that of their friends who are 'different', secondly would find that in fact there is more that unites us than divides us, and thirdly realise that is is actually possible to live together in diversity without the need for conflict, probably the most important lesson in today's world.
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Reliġjon jew etika?
Dik hija l-mistoqsija.
Din mhix xi diskussjoni fuq il-litteratura Ingliża, imma riflessjoni fuq mistoqsija diretta li saritli l-ġimgħa l-oħra. Naf li din il-mistoqsija ssir ukoll lil eluf ta’ ġenituri Awstraljani kull sena.
Il-kuntest huwa wieħed komuni. Ridt nikteb lit-tfal tiegħi biex jibdew l-iskola primarja s-sena d-dieħla, f’skola pubblika, jiġifieri waħda tal-gvern. Kont qiegħed niddiskuti l-applikazzjoni tiegħi mal-kap tal-iskola, mara simpatika li inzertat kienet Maltija-Awstraljana bħali, u wasalna f’punt fejn staqsietni jekk irridx lit-tfal tiegħi jitgħallmu r-reliġjon jew l-etika. Kompliet li jekk nagħżel ir-reliġjon, ridt nagħżel waħda mir-reliġjonijiet preskritti, li mill-memorja kienet dik Kattolika, l-Islam, il-Buddiżmu u l-Hindu.
B’din l-għażla kollha, kulħadd għandu jkun kuntent. Allura għalfejn jien m’iniex?
Sempliċi ħafna. Għalfejn għandi nagħżel? Għalfejn it-tfal tiegħi m’għandhomx jitgħallmu kemm ir-reliġjon u kemm l-etika? U jekk jitgħallmu r-reliġjon, għalfejn għandhom jitgħallmu fuq reliġjon waħda u xejn fuq l-oħrajn?
Hemm limitazzjoni prattika, li l-lezzjonijiet ikunu ta’ nofs siegħa l-waħda, u l-lezzjoni tar-reliġjon isseħħ fl-istess ħin ta’ dik tal-etika. Student ma jistax ikun f’żewġ postijiet f’salt, mhux hekk?
Mhux jekk ikunu wara xulxin.
U l-lezzjonijiet tar-reliġjonijiet isiru minn organizzazzjonijiet marbutin ma’ reliġjon partikulari, li naturalment jgħallmu dik ir-reliġjon biss. Jekk tinkiteb għal reliġjon partikolari, titgħallem dwarha biss tista’.
Ma jistax il-ħin allokat jinqasam bejn ir-reliġjonijiet, għallinqas dawk maġġuri, darba waħda u d-darba ta’ wara l-oħra?
Jien naraha tal-għaġeb li fis-seklu wieħed u għoxrin, għadna naħsbu li hija ideja tajba li nifirdu lill-ġenerazzjoni futura minn età żgħira, li forsi diġà huma ħbieb, fuq bażi tar-reliġjon jew twemmin li jħaddnu (jew dik li jħaddnu l-ġenituri tagħhom). Naħsbu li tajjeb li ma jimpurtaniex minn x’jaħseb u jemmen jew ma jemminx ħaddieħor, meta nafu li l-injoranza spiss twassal għal suspetti, mibgħeda u firda.
Aħna u huma. Basta nitgħallmu tagħna, x’jimpurtana minn ta’ ħaddieħor? Bħal ma smajt fi priedka f’knisja xi snin ilu, tagħna tajba żgur, ta’ ħaddieħor żbaljata, ovvjament.
Jien għalija dan iktar milli tagħlim insejjaħlu indottrinazzjoni u intolleranza.
Fil-fehma tiegħi soluzzjoni hemm, jekk hemm ir-rieda, u din trid tkun rieda politika għax il-problema ġejja mil-liġi.
Is-soluzzjoni tkun li:
•ikun hemm suġġett wieħed jismu Reliġjon u Etika, u s-sessjoni tkun ta’ siegħa bħal ma hemm previst fil-liġi llum. L-iskop tiegħu hu li l-istudenti jiġu mgħallma l-prinċipji tar-reliġjonijiet prinċipali u dawk oħra relevanti għall-istudenti fi klassi, flimkien ma’ kunsiderazzjonijiet etiċi f’ambjent sekulari;
•l-istudenti jattendu kollha flimkien, ħalli llum jisimgħu fuq il-qafas tat-twemmin tagħhom, u għada dak tal-ħbieb tagħhom;
•ikun ċar li l-iskop tas-sessjoni huwa wieħed edukattiv u informattiv, mhux ta’ konverżjoni, biex jassigura lill-ġenituri.
Jien konvint li b’dan il-mod, l-istudenti jitgħallmu l-ewwel ħaġa l-bażi tat-twemmin mhux biss tagħhom imma ta’ sħabhom li huma ‘differenti’, it-tieni jindunaw li fil-fatt hemm iktar x’jgħaqqadna milli x’jifridna, u t-tielet jirrealizzaw li huwa possibbli li jgħixu flimkien fid-diversità mingħajr il-bżonn ta’ kunflitt, probabbilment l-iktar tagħlima importanti fiż-żminijiet tal-lum.
1https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-across-the-curriculum/religion-and-ethics, retrieved 17/3/2020
2https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/spag/curriculum/OverviewGeneralRE.pdf, retrieved 17/3/2020
1https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/learning-across-the-curriculum/religion-and-ethics, retrieved 17/3/2020
2https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/spag/curriculum/OverviewGeneralRE.pdf, retrieved 17/3/2020
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