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A balance of church and state: Teaching religion in public schools
A balance of church and state: Teaching religion in public schools
In efforts to become culturally diverse, have we gone too far?
Benjamin MacLeod • Benjamin's Notebook
IONA: Highland Village Museum. July 25, 2017. PHOTO BY BENJAMIN MACLEOD
There was a time when religion was a regular part of public schools. In many ways, it still is. For example, our national anthem which is played daily in Canadian schools contains the lyrics “god keep our land”. Of course, the most well-known religious element taught in public schools has traditionally been Christmas. Nearly every school in the province puts up a Christmas tree, elementary schools perform Christmas concerts, and Christmas music is played. Recently, these traditions have become highly controversial. Policymakers have called for schools to become more culturally diverse, which has led to changes. This has especially affected the celebration of Christmas. Over the last few years, Christmas concerts have been renamed to “Winter” or “Holiday” concerts, and terms like “Merry Christmas” have been replaced with “Happy Holidays”. Many families have heavily criticized these changes. I do believe that there should be reform regarding how religion is being practiced in schools, but I also believe that the direction we are heading is not beneficial.
Anti-Indoctrination
Anti-Indoctrination
I have seen many online posts lately arguing why religion should not be taught in schools. Supporters feel that public schools, institutions funded by the government, should not be allowed to indoctrinate students based on the values of Christianity. This is a hot topic in the United States because the state of Louisiana passed a law in June 2024 that mandated the 10 commandments to be displayed in every classroom. With US President-Elect Donald Trump preparing to take power in January, many non-Christian Americans have a valid fear that a republican government may bow towards the evangelical right. If this happens, schools could become a site to indoctrinate, rather than educate.
Banning religion altogether, however, poses additional challenges to society. The purpose of schools is to prepare students for the real world. On top of reading, writing, and mathematics, this also includes life skills. One of these skills is how to get along with others. Getting along is an invaluable skill to have, a skill that many adults appear to not have been taught. Instead of letting the pendulum swing from right to left, I see the opportunity to radically change how we go about teaching religion in schools.
The current approach
The current approach
We are currently seeing directives from the Regional Centres for Education (RCEs) in Nova Scotia to teach about other cultures. This is an excellent idea as it allows students at a young age to learn about beliefs from around the world. For example, Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education (CCRCE) celebrated Diwali in schools. A social media post was made, and school morning announcements included a section explaining what Diwali is. Similarly, a post was also made for students celebrating Hannukah, and another in the spring for Ramadan. However, when December 25th rolled around, CCRCE did not post a Merry Christmas message on any of their social media accounts. Although December 25th is a holiday for employees in CCRCE, it seems strange that they posted for every other religious holiday except Christmas. It is easy enough to schedule posts, which is what it looks like Halifax Regional Centre for Education did last year.
To me, this is nearly as bad as promoting only one religion. If schools are going to teach students about other religious holidays, this should be done equally for all holidays, or the effort should not be made at all. This is where I believe there is room for a new course to be taught in Nova Scotia high schools.
The past approach
The past approach
Before I explain my proposed change, I do have one more thing to add. The efforts to “thwart” Christmas in schools did not come unsolicited. When I was in elementary school, we often sang songs that played heavily into the religious aspect of Christmas. I remember singing a song in third grade which had the lines “Happy Birthday Jesus”, and in grade primary (kindergarten), we sang “Away in a Manger”. Even at the time, when it was still “in vogue” to call them “Christmas concerts”, we did not feel right about the heavily Christian influence of our concerts. Even though much of Christmas and the holiday season had become so commercialized, many schools took things too far. For this reason, the RCEs took a complete turn, which is what led us to go to the other extreme.
A proposed change
A proposed change
For public schools to successfully discuss religion, it must be taught fairly and equally. Elementary and middle schools should continue to teach cultures and holidays, but this should be inclusive to all of them. From a high school level, I propose the opportunity for a more in-depth approach. The course would be titled “Global Religious Studies 12” and would look at the history of various religions across the planet. The course would discuss the history of religion itself but also teach students about the history of specific religions and their values. As well, an entire unit could be dedicated to the not-so-nice aspects of religion in our history, such as indigenous residential schools, and the treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community. As a course, this would provide students the opportunity to get a more in-depth knowledge of the outside world before graduation. For many, it is not possible to attend a post-secondary institution where these types of courses are already taught. This course would essentially be an “Intro to Intro to Religion”, like how Sociology and Law are already electives at a high school level.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Like it or not, Christmas has become a commercialized holiday that has strayed far from its Christian roots. Many Canadian families who celebrate Christmas do not attend church or even consider themselves Christian at all. I think that the activities practiced in December can and should continue, as we do for other seasonal activities like Halloween. When it comes to the religious aspects of Christmas, we should dial it back and remember that not everyone celebrates.
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