Teaching religion: Critical thinking or convention?

The traditional way of teaching religion in sanctimonious isolation has much room for improvement if we are to produce a sober citizen who can rise above petty religious identity.

- BY SUSANTHA HEWA

Critical thinking is the buzz word in education, which is a primary determinant of social progress.

Moving towards a better society may not be possible if we resist change and continue to follow the hoary conventions. To be in the same rut is easy but we cannot afford that luxury and expect any positive change in anything we wish to see progress. With respect to education, any meaningful change in learning outcomes can come only if much valued critical thinking prevails from the first stages of curriculum planning.

Teaching religion in schools in the traditional way - that is, teaching the religion to the students who have already acquired the same religion through socially authorised programming of children from their early years - has been the practice from time immemorial. If one of the expected learning outcomes of this was to make the students memorise more material about their respective religion, many would concede that it has served the purpose. However, it has done little to boost their critical thinking, urge them to take an interest in other religions in the country or increase their empathy with those who have acquired those others because of chance. If students today are becoming more and more tolerant of other faiths, it is not because of teaching religion in the traditional way, but despite it - meaning, despite the conventional methods of religious programming and teaching religion later in segregation in schools. As a result of this inescapable programming in childhood, we grow up to believe that those who have other religions are simply less fortunate than us; they should have chosen their parents wisely.