Christ in the classroom

Facing awkward or uncomfortable questions by small children is not exactly an uncommon experience among young parents. But when children as young as five come home from Kindergarten asking questions about complex religious issues, some parents may well question what sort of ethical foundation the present curriculum is currently providing for their children.

Other questions also have to be asked in the light of recent demographic changes, as well as the emergence of different religious faiths and non-religious life-stances in Malta. At present Religious Studies (RS) is the only equivalent of an ethics-based option provided in both Church and state schools; unless one counts individual aspects of the Personal and Social Development Syllabus, which may involve ethical issues.

The RS syllabus focuses exclusively on the Catholic faith; and while students are free to opt out, to date no alternative subject has been provided to cater for a growing number of children - both local and foreign - whose parents do not want them brought up as Catholics.

While different schools address this problem in different ways, it remains a fact that children brought up in other religions outside of Catholicism - or no religion at all - are often left with nothing to do during that school hour.

Is our education system failing these children? What options exist for non-religious parents, or parents who adhere to minority faiths, when it comes to preparing their children for the ethical challenges of the contemporary world?

It was in part to address this lacuna that the Education Ministry published a consultation document for a new National Curriculum Framework policy in 2011, proposing to introduce an ethics programme specifically for children who opt out of RS.

But the syllabus has yet to be finalised, and the subject is not yet offered in local schools.

A child's choice

Andreana Dibben, an assistant lecturer in social policy at the University of Malta, is arguably better paced than most to comment about the situation facing children of different religious backgrounds. Herself a non-believer, she left her own two children - a 15-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son - to decide for themselves whether or not to attend religion classes.

The former took up the RS option, and the latter chose not to. Both attend State schools.

"My son's rebellion started in Kinder 1, when he was three years old," Dibben explains. "They were doing a craft in class of 'Our Lady of Sorrows'. Apparently they had to stick a 'santa' [holy picture], which was really macabre, and colour in some flowers. I think my son, not being used to the sight of crucifixes, felt quite squeamish about the whole thing and told the teacher that he didn't want to do it. When she asked him why, he said 'Because my mummy doesn't let me'."

Dibben was sent for and asked me if this was true. "I told the teacher that we didn't practice religion at home but that it's up to my son to decide whether or not to participate. From then on, he nearly always chose not to participate in religious activities and when he went on to formal schooling, each year I ask him if he wants to opt out or not."

Opting out is by no means unusual in government schools. Each year, parents receive a note asking them if we want they want their children to participate in religious activities.

"I always write 'Up to him to decide'," Dibben adds.

Paradoxically, Andreana Dibben encountered more issues with her daughter's teachers than with her son's, mainly because of the 'controversial' discussions her daughter would sometimes initiate in class by questioning the subject matter.

"I will never forget one particular teacher who was a very conservative Catholic. She simply told her, 'What you discuss at home, leave at home'. And then, when my daughter got 98 in the RS exam and came first in class, the teacher said in front of the class: 'Just because someone does well in an exam, doesn't make them a good Christian. It's themselves they are fooling, just like the devil tried to fool Jesus.' Of course, I went and gave her a piece of my mind then... my daughter was only 10 at the time."

Ethical expectations

Other atheist parents have raised similar concerns. Krista Ellul Sullivan has a five-year-old son who hasn't even started formal religious instruction. "Yet he already knows who Baby Jesus is and how to make the sign of the cross," she said. "I'm not happy about this. I wasn't even consulted as to what religion I practice or if I wanted my son taught any of this."

She now looks forward to the introduction of an ethics programme independent of any one religious faith. "I want my son to have a general knowledge about religion and a critical mind, so that he questions what he is told rather than accepts blindly. I was very concerned until I heard about the ethics class and I'm hoping it will be installed ASAP."

Public consultation on the new ethics programme is now at an advanced stage, and the new policy is expected to be in place later this year. But to date it remains uncertain whether it will be introduced only as a substitute for religion in schools; and even then, whether it will be geared exclusively for the children of the non-religious, or of adherents to other religions apart from the majority Catholic faith.

Even with the new syllabus in place, there remains a possibility that the sheer pervasiveness of religious culture and imagery in schools may be influencing young minds outside the confines of the classroom. As Andreana Dibben points out, "religion in schools" is by no means limited to RS lessons alone.

"The problem as I see it with schools is not so much the teaching of religion but the way that religion is infused in everything, from the singing of hymns and prayers in the daily assembly, to the prayer before lunchtime, to all the different rituals such as spiritual exercises in Lent, statues of the Virgin Mary set up in October and in May... the Virgin Mary has even hijacked Mother's Day celebrations... so if I had the option I would have sent my kids to a school that was secular. I don't mind that kids learn about religion. I am not against religious celebrations at all..."

'A total waste of time'

In the meantime complaints have recently surfaced regarding the existing RS syllabus in its present form. Some parents argue that the subject focuses too heavily on purely doctrinal matters: including 'mysteries of the faith' which are deemed intensely complicated even for adults (as was recently illustrated by public reactions to a Church questionnaire on theological issues).

Carmel Gafa, a practising Catholic, has two children aged nine and 13. Both attend Church schools and catechism lessons at the MUSEUM, and their parents would like them to be raised as Catholics.

But Gafa describes the current religious studies curriculum as "a total waste of time".

"It does not expose the kids to ethical questions whatsoever and is not a catalyst to enhance moral values," he told this newspaper. "It is simply a number of questions that children have to learn by heart in order to get a tick in the box. I was often tempted to stop the kids from attending this specific class, but I do not want then to be marginalised..."

Gafa strongly supports the introduction of ethics as an independent subject in its own right. "I feel that children should be taught moral values that reflect the ethical scenarios present in 2014. Learning a list of items that can be found in the Church does incite children to become the men and women of tomorrow with the values that are compatible with the teachings of the Church, and other religions for that matter."

Dibben concurs with this assessment. "RS is all about studying for the exams. The concepts are often way beyond the moral and intellectual developmental stage of the children. So it's merely reciting like a parrot... I can still remember one particular statement that my daughter had to learn by heart: "Alla m'ghandux bidu u lanqas tmiem. Alla kien minn dejjem u jibqa' ghal dejjem. Hu qieghed fuq kollox, fuq kulhadd u kullimkien." ['God has no beginning or end. God has always existed and will always exist. He is above all things, above all people and he is everywhere'.]: My daughter was eight when she had to learn that. Can you imagine how an 8-year old child can understand such an abstract concept, even if her parents were the most fervent Catholics?"

Questions have been in fact been raised about whether Religious Studies succeeds even within the terms of its own mission: i.e., to educate children on matters of Catholic doctrine. An examiners' report on last May's religious Studies O-Level examination revealed a dramatic decline in proper understanding of Catholic doctrine, causing the examiners to ask whether, "we are losing our sense of sin".

Students have "a distorted idea of what constitutes mortal and venial sin", examiners noted, adding that some of the candidates lacked "the very basic of religious knowledge" to the extent that "many candidates do not know that there are seven sacraments and cannot even distinguish between sacraments and commandments".

Examples from examination replies suggested widespread confusion between 'God' and 'Jesus', possibly arising from exposure of children to difficult tenets such as the Holy Trinity at too young an age.

Not just for Catholics

Fr Charles Mallia, the Malta Archdiocese's delegate for Catholic education, defends the emphasis on doctrine in RS, but concedes that there is room for improvement. The syllabus is in fact being revised.

"Human knowledge may be of two kinds: knowledge of the mind and knowledge of the heart. In the context of religious knowledge this may be termed as theology or doctrine (the mind) and personally experiencing God through Jesus (the heart). Both are essential for us humans to discover truth and meaning in life. Any religious education needs to integrate these two dimensions."

But Fr Mallia acknowledges that there may be problems with the existing syllabus: "Like the rest of society, as a Church, we are on a learning curve in this respect. We are more than willing to explore new ways how to offer a more integrated approach to Religious education. We are grateful for the concrete initiatives that are being proposed all the time in our schools and our programmes. Obviously we need to keep on going further."

Nonetheless he maintains that the syllabus in its present form is still beneficial, and may also provide benefits for non-Catholics.

"Religious studies provide a suitable moral foundation for many, especially Catholics. However there may be people who may hold some or a few values which do not flow from Catholic religious studies.

"By definition, since Religious Studies in Maltese state and Church schools is Catholic Religious Education, the moral foundation that is such an integral part of RS necessarily reflects Catholic religious belief. The Catholic Faith, based as it is on the universal teachings of Christ, proposes a moral vision that is addressed to the good of all humanity and not just Catholics. Of course, non-Catholics are free to adopt or reject this morality."

As such, Fr Mallia expects the proposed ethics course to similarly address issues the Church believes are central to the good of humanity.

"I think the course should focus on both universal values such as: truth, love, justice, solidarity, respect for self, others, environment and values that are part of our local culture and heritage, such as: spirituality, sense of what is sacred, monogamous and faithful marriage, sacredness of life from its first moments, dignity of the weak, rights of the child, dignity of women, democracy, rule of law, and so on."