This document summarizes the findings of a research project called REDCo that studied how religion is taught in schools in eight European countries, including France. The project aimed to understand students' perspectives on religion's role in their lives and education, and its impact on society. Key findings were that most students are interested in learning about religions irrespective of their own beliefs, and believe knowledge and joint activities are important for peaceful coexistence between religious groups. The project made recommendations to encourage dialogue, manage religious diversity, integrate non-religious views, and improve teacher training on discussing religion.

1. Religions et Société :
quels rapports et quels droits ?
Enseigner la religion en France et en
Europe – Projet REDCo
http://www.redco.uni-hamburg.de
Congrès SIETAR
Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

2. PROGRAMME
1. Fondements de l’enquête
2. Caractéristiques
3. Résultats
4. Discussion
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 2
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

3. Fondements de l’enquête
• Programme spécial FP6 « Intégrer et renforcer la
recherche européenne », priorité 7 « Citoyens et
gouvernance dans une société de la connaissance »,
domaine spécial 7.2.1. « Valeurs et religions en Europe
»
• Recommandation 1720 de l’Assemblée parlementaire du
Conseil de l’Europe (4 octobre 2005) :
– 6. … Les gouvernements devraient aussi faire plus …, pour
encourager l’enseignement du fait religieux, pour promouvoir le
dialogue avec et entre les religions et pour favoriser l’expression
culturelle et sociale des religions. »
– 7. L’école est un élément majeur de l’éducation, de la formation
de l’esprit critique des futurs citoyens et donc du dialogue
interculturel …
– 8. La connaissance des religions fait partie intégrante de celle de
l’histoire des hommes et des civilisations …
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 3
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

4. Fondements de l’enquête
Mrs. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Director General of Education, Culture
and Heritage, Youth and Sport; Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue of
the Council of Europe (Source: “The relevance of interreligious dialogue for
:
intercultural understanding”, Strasbourg, March 2009)
“The contemporary European approach to the religious
dimension of cultural diversity can be characterised by the
three pillars of European “laicism” or laïcité:
– Freedom of thought, conscience and religion as a
human right (Art. 9 ECHR, Art. 18 Universal
Declaration)
– The principle of equal rights and duties for everyone,
regardless of their religious or other convictions, or the
principle of non-discrimination;
– And the principle of the mutual autonomy of religion and
politics.”
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 4
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

5. Caractéristiques - Objectifs
Dr. Wolfram Weisse, Professor of Religious Education at the University
of Hamburg, Germany, Director of the interdisciplinary centre “World
Religions in Dialogue” and co-ordinator of REDCo (Source: ib.) :
“The project’s main aim was to research and
comparatively analyse the potentials and limitations of
religion in the educational systems of selected European
countries and regions. It specifically addressed approaches
and constellations that can contribute to making religion in
education a factor promoting dialogue in the context of
European development.”
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 5
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

6. Caractéristiques - 3 questions centrales
• Quel rôle joue la religion dans la vie des élèves ?
• Comment les élèves voient la religion à l’école et son
impact dans l’éducation ?
• Comment les élèves voient l’impact de la religion dans la
société ?
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 6
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

7. Caractéristiques - Processus
• Enquête entre mars 2006 et mars 2009
• 8 pays
• Adolescents 14-16 ans
• Entretiens semi-directifs (avec observation in situ en
classe) et questionnaire qualitatif
• 6.513 questionnaires
• Équipes-pays pluridisciplinaires
• Diverses problématiques rencontrées
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 7
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

8. Pays participants
1. Allemagne
2. Espagne
3. Estonie
5 8
4. France 3
7
5. Norvège
6
1
6. Pays-Bas
4
7. Royaume-Uni
2
8. Russie
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 8
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

9. Results
(Source : Policy recommendations of the REDCo research project, 19 March
2009)
• Irrespective of their religious positions, a majority of
students are interested in learning about religions in
school.
• Students are generally open towards peers of different
religious backgrounds. At the same time they tend to
socialise with peers from the same background as
themselves, even when they live in areas characterised
by religious diversity.
• Students often express a tolerant attitude more at an
abstract than a practical level. The tolerance expressed
in classroom discussion is not always replicated in their
daily life-world.
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 9
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

10. Results - Continued
• Those who learn about religious diversity in school are
more willing to enter into conversations about religions
and worldviews with students from other backgrounds
than those who do not have this opportunity for learning.
• Students believe that the main preconditions for peaceful
coexistence between people of different religions are
knowledge about each other’s religions and worldviews,
shared interests, and joint activities.
• In most countries, students support the right of
adherents to a moderate expression of religious faith in
school.
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 10
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

11. Results - Continued
• Students for whom religion is important in their lives are
more likely to respect the religious background of others
and value the role of religion in the world.
• Most students would like to see school dedicated more
to teaching about different religions than to guiding them
towards a particular religious belief or worldview.
• Students express their desire that learning about
religions should take place in a safe class-room
environment governed by agreed procedures for
expression and discussion.
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 11
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

12. Results - Continued
• Students generally wish to avoid conflict on religious
issues, and some of the religiously committed students
feel especially vulnerable.
• Dialogue is a favoured strategy for teachers to cope with
diversity in the classroom, but students are more
ambivalent about its value since in practice, not all
students are comfortable with the way diversity is
managed in schools.
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 12
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

13. Results - Recommendations
1. Encourage peaceful coexistence, by :
– countering stereotypical images of religions and
presenting more complex images of their impact on
society and the individual
– developing and strengthening skills for dialogue
between pupils about religions and worldviews
– providing opportunities for engagement with different
worldviews and religions (i.e. cooperation with local
communities)
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 13
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

14. Results - Recommendations
2. Promote diversity management, by :
– offering opportunities for students to learn about and
give space for discussions on religions
– developing innovative approaches to learning about
religions and worldviews in different subjects including
RE, history, literature and science
– encouraging universities to give fuller consideration to
religious diversity in research and teaching
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 14
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

15. Results - Recommendations
3. Integrate non-religious worldviews, by :
– including learning about different religious and secular
worldviews in their complexity and inner diversity
– including the religious dimension into general
intercultural education, education for democratic
citizenship and human rights education
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 15
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

16. Results - Recommendations
4. Develop professional competence, by :
– preparing educators to treat religious topics relevant to
their subject, ensuring the inclusion of students
regardless of their religious or non-religious background
– training educators in methods that support and
encourage students to be comfortable with difference
and to engage with the diversity of their personal
experiences
– developing educators’ skills to organise and moderate
in-class debates on controversial religious issues and
conflicting worldviews
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 16
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

17. Résultats - France
• La religion : une préoccupation marginale pour la
majorité des étudiants
• Non seulement acceptation par une majorité d’étudiants
du principe de laïcité à l’école, mais aussi affirmation de
celui-ci, après appropriation et intégration de ses règles
principales
• L’enseignement religieux n’est pas un sujet de débat tant
qu’il ne revêt pas un caractère de prosélytisme et qu’il
reste focalisé sur les aspects historiques et culturels de
la religion
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 17
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010

18. Résultats - France
• L’islam devient de plus en plus une référence religieuse
principale utilisée par les étudiants
• L’inversion de la relation majorité/minorité dans la
représentation du religieux chez les étudiants
• Une tendance à distinguer les systèmes religieux selon
des frontières ethniques du fait que la démonstration de
l’affiliation religieuse est intrinsèquement liée aux
différences ethniques et culturelles
G. Trolliet Congrès SIETAR 18
« Enseigner la religion » Lille – 29 Octobre 2010