April 1991
Contents
1. Introduction and Background
3. Newfoundland Situation and Denominational Education
4. Purpose and Goals of Spiritual Education
5. A Unifying Principle for Curriculum Development in Religious Studies
6. Recommendations in the Newfoundland Setting
7. Conclusion
Appendix Bahá'í Holy Days
1. Introduction and Background
In response to the Department of Education's call for public discussion on the delivery of educational services, the Bahá'í Community of St. John's is pleased to present views arising from our conviction and experience. This submission will concentrate on broad principles, rather that the more narrowly defined interests of a smaller group whose needs may not now be adequately served. Bahá'í communities, whether in Canada or in other parts of the world are comprised of diverse people from a cross-section of the world's racial, ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds. The Bahá'í community may be seen as a model for a highly diverse, global community; building this community has required devoting much energy to the education of its individual members. This education is not merely intellectual development and training, but is also, even primarily, the inculcation, in each member of the community, of moral values appropriate to life in a rapidly changing environment. The greatest challenge for education at the present time is to define itself in a way that acknowledges its capacity to transform both individual lives and the society in which they live. Education is concerned with cultivation of the human spirit, both individually and collectively. Education must serve the whole human family struggling to outgrow its competitive and combative adolescence and beginning to realize its identity as one species, sharing the same homeland and linked to a common destiny.
If we are to teach our children to respond appropriately to the reality that "the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens", then our schools must teach world citizenship as a fundamental spiritual value, based on the principle of unity in diversity. In this day, the tyranny of individual or factional interests, as distinguished from upholding respect for the individual soul, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a whole. Schools must educate children to function in the world as unifiers and peace makers, to be able to recognize the nature and value of diversity and to deal constructively with it. Education on the nature of diversity, and on its relevance to global issues, particularly to world peace, could be taught in a variety of ways. These could include studying the part played by the inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering that keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. As well, the emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the vitally important, though less acknowledged prerequisites for peace. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership with men in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge. In exploring these and related aspects of the value and nature of diversity, the education of children rests on firm spiritual principles realized in action.
The Bahá'í approach to these and other issues involves extensive consultation with all the parties concerned within the bounds of the spiritual principles of the Faith, conducted with an attitude of unity and a will to seek solutions to problems. This is best described by the following excerpt from the statement To the Peoples of the World (containing The Promise of World Peace, A Bahá'í Statement on Peace, 1986)
There are spiritual principles, or what some call human values, by which solutions can be found for every social problem. Any well-intentioned group can in a general sense devise practical solutions to its problems, but good intentions and practical knowledge are usually not enough. The essential merit of spiritual principle is that it not only presents a perspective which harmonizes with that which is immanent in human nature, it also induces an attitude, a dynamic, a will, an aspiration, which facilitate the discovery and implementation of practical measures. Leaders of government and all in authority would be well served in their efforts to solve problems if they would first seek to identify the principles involved and then be guided by them.
According to Bahá'í teachings, if religion is not the cause of harmony and unity, we are better to be without it. But how can religion unify when it has been seen for so long as a source of disunity and division?
The founders of the great religions of the world have all come from one source: this is the principle of the unity of religion. The essential spiritual teachings they brought to mankind are the same: pre-eminently that we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated, compassion, justice, reverence for the earth, respect for parents, the reality of the soul, the importance of prayer and meditation, self-discipline and truthfulness.
The differences among religions stem from their social teachings, reflecting the particular time in which they appeared, and the condition and needs of the people to whom they were given. It is these social and not the spiritual teachings, which, through human additions, have caused differences among the followers of religion.
Thus, religious or spiritual education should be distinguished from the teaching of religious doctrines. Education about religion should not be an isolated study of a particular faith, or even of many particular faiths, as objects of study in themselves. The common spiritual truths found in all religions, rather than the dogmas, definitions, buildings and rituals particular to each, are the means by which to promote higher levels of unity and cooperation among people and therefore more mature human relationships between individuals, societies and nations. Ultimately, it is the essential teachings of the great religions, what we call universal values, which constitute the common wellspring of human civilization.
3. Newfoundland Situation and Denominational Education
The denominational school system is unique in North American educational history. While it was never entirely pure in intent, being based in part on religious rivalry and mutual intolerance, the people of this province owe a great debt to the organization of the churches, for it was through the churches that education was developed on firm foundations and with a strong moral and spiritual content. The provincial motto, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God" must be taken as evidence of the deep significance of religion in the life of the province. Undeniably, prejudice and ignorance were fostered by rigidly segregated denominational school systems. While education was always placed in the context of service to and love for God, too often salvation was claimed as exclusive to one church or another. The unifying power of religion may have been felt within the life of individual religious communities, but too often divided different communities and society as a whole.
Newfoundland, therefore, with its special historical and spiritual background, stands at a door of opportunity almost unprecedented in North America. The educational system here has before it the chance to build on the traditional spiritual foundation but with a new focus: to involve the community, through the education of its children, in the construction of a society united by religion rather that divided by it. The existence of separate school systems and schools with restrictive admissions policies, whether based on religion, gender, economic or social status, or other factors can easily lead to the development of prejudice. In this current age, it is necessary to work consciously for the removal of all forms of prejudice, and this need applies especially to the school system.
In purely economic terms, it is clear that the building of separate school buildings, and the resulting fragmentation of teaching resources and services that occurs in communities of all sizes throughout the province, is wasteful of educational resources. A greater appreciation of the principle of unity, and its application, would lead to a wiser use of limited educational resources.
We believe that to excise so fundamental and pervasive a part of human history as religion from school education would be tantamount to a serious mutilation of the truth. For this same reason, no one would seriously propose removing history, geography, or mathematics from the curriculum. To attempt to study the literature, history or arts of mankind apart from the religious impulse which has been one of the major generating impulses of these phenomena could not be regarded as an adequate presentation of the truth. What is worse, it would educate by omission, as the student "learns", by its exclusion, that religion is irrelevant to the major concern of life.
The prejudice and division of the old system were not peculiar to the religious education systems, but to the particular historical and cultural context in which religion was practised. The Bahá'í Faith upholds firmly the principle that "the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men."
It is in the light of this principle, and of an understanding of the particular virtues and failings of the denominational system as it has traditionally existed in Newfoundland, that the statements of this submission should be seen. We encourage that which will promote the spiritual and religious education of our children and youth, not in prejudiced divisiveness, nor in a superficial and insincere fashion; but in the true spirit of religion, in that which unites the community and forms the basis for its continuing progress in harmony with all the elements of the created world.
4. Purpose and Goals of Spiritual Education
For the reasons discussed above, we would strongly recommend that the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education integrate throughout the curriculum, the common spiritual truths of all faiths. Our children should be encouraged to recognize the value and complementarity of both faith and reason to become part of a creative process of investigating reality and recognizing truth, irrespective of its origin. Only when children develop such a world-minded, truth-seeking attitude can they use their abilities constructively toward the creation of a just, peaceful and harmonious society. This approach is best summarized by two short quotations from Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh:
"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom."
"If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure."
Spiritual education can be essentially defined as encouraging the child's awareness of his Creator and the nature and purpose of human life. The broad goals of spiritual education are as follows:
1. To assist the individual to realize that education, service to humanity and dedication to the unity of the human family is the chief means by which to unlock individual capacity and release creative powers latent in human nature.
2. To bring about the understanding that mere knowledge of principles or of facts and figures about the religions of the world is insufficient to ensure personal growth and social change. Religion must be taught as a living subject, regardless of faith or denomination, for it to have the desired educational effect on the child.
3. To bring about a firm conviction in the child that human honour and happiness lie in self-respect and concern for others, and not in the mere pursuit of wealth, gratification and power for their own sake. Spiritual discipline is the source both of individual happiness and social responsibility.
4. To develop each individual's capacity to contribute to group problem-solving and consultation; to take part in shared or cooperative projects as an active participant who listens with care and respect to the contributions of others, who helps overcome conflict and division and who contributes to the establishment of a spirit of unity and collaboration in all decision-making endeavours.
Upon this firm foundation, then, a properly designed initial program can endow a community with youth who not only are prepared for further stages of education but who already constitute valuable human resources for the development of our society.
5. A Unifying Principle for Curriculum Development in Religious Studies
How can a religious education curriculum unify rather than divide? The school curriculum of religious studies should include the study of various world faiths, stressing the essential common principles among them such as honesty, humility, regard for truth, trustworthiness, the spiritual station of work, justice, compassion and generosity. The way in which each religion has fostered the development of these qualities can be examined in a lively and personally relevant way by using the varieties of sacred writings, literature, art, myths and legends.
Each child will have different experiences of how others express such things as courtesy, kindness, and respect for parents; each child will also experience, differently, how these qualities are learned, or taught. Though these experiences and expressions differ in form, they can be the basis for fostering genuine appreciation of our diverse spiritual heritage. Prejudice originates in childhood experience of difference, rejection, and fear; an understanding of the deeper and truer unity that underlies apparent differences is the surest basis for preventing the formation of prejudice where it is most likely to begin. Presenting children with the essential truths of the world's great religions will enable them to understand that it is only the superficial differences of human practice which have been the focus of attention.
Thus the curriculum should be as thought-provoking to children of "believing" parents as to those of agnostic or atheist background. However, the ultimate aim should be to help children to become independent explorers and seekers of spiritual truth, rather than adversarial debaters; it should inspire them to inquire and listen with discernment and respect, rather than regard others with contempt or disdain. The curriculum should reflect a recognition of the fact that we cannot fully understand this infinite "superior reasoning power" with our finite human minds and that our concepts of God, by whatever name, will reflect only that limited understanding.
One of the most challenging responsibilities of government is to create in our schools, in partnership with families and religious faiths, the requisite atmosphere of harmony and freedom from prejudice and fanaticism that will permit our children to develop into contributing citizens in the 21st century. It is impossible in this day and age for any religious community to insulate its children from the views and realities of others. Through the approach to curriculum development being recommended here, each religious community could be encouraged to make the most constructive and valid presentation of the truth essential to their own religion, as a contribution to the curriculum. It is no longer appropriate for the school system to offer that privilege to some while withholding it from others.
6. Recommendations in the Newfoundland Setting
Some specific recommendations which relate mainly to the question of the matter of accessibility are:
1. In the Aims of Education, as approved by the Department of Education, the references to `Christian' education and values, etc. should be changed to `religious' education and values, etc. As the fundamental principles of the world religions are in accord, this change would not diminish the Christian content of the Aims while at the same time bringing them into accord with all of the world religions.
2. Teachers, staff and pupils in the school system should be provided with the opportunity to observe the Holy Days appropriate to their Faith. We understand that there are certain practical difficulties relating to the collective agreements for teachers and staff, but the principle remains. The Bahá'í Holy Days are listed in the Appendix.
3. The current economic setting should be used as an opportunity to reshape the school system in order to foster the necessary unity that is required of all the peoples of the world in this current age. We must learn to cooperate effectively, and the present challenge can be turned to advantage in promoting that cooperation at all levels - structural, curricular, instructional and material - of the Newfoundland school system.
4. The community use of the schools should be encouraged. While there may be pragmatic problems, these are solvable given the will, and the question should be decided on basic principle. A greater use of the schools by their owners, and their integration into the life of the community, will provide an opportunity for teaching the principle of unity and cooperation by example.
Newfoundland is presently standing at an important point in its development. The cultural and religious make-up of the province is changing constantly with the arrival of immigrants from Asia, from the Middle East, from Eastern Europe and other regions. The present wave of immigrants is, culturally, very different from the previous waves of immigrants. Unlike the mainly Christian immigrants from the Britain and Ireland of previous immigrations, these new Canadians come from a variety of religious traditions.
Our educational system is one of the primary institutions affected by changes in the population. It is also the institution that can have the greatest effect because it has the responsibility of raising up our future generations and helping them to adapt to and prepare for life in a world vastly different from that of their parents. This applies to both the recently arrived Newfoundlanders and those whose families have been here for generations. For it is mainly at school that these children will learn not only tolerance or acceptance, but respect and appreciation for one another's religions and cultures, ideally, for all religions and cultures.
Thus, it is imperative that the government not merely "respond" to the fact of diversity, by offering a pot pourri of isolated presentations of the superficial differences and rituals represented by different groups, but, more importantly, that it provide a curriculum which will enable children to discern and appreciate their common humanity through the veil of these apparent differences
It is appropriate to end this presentation with the following excerpt from The Promise of World Peace:
Religious strife, throughout history, has been the cause of innumerable wars and conflicts, a major blight to progress, and is increasingly abhorrent to the people of all faiths and no faith. Followers of all religions must be willing to face the basic questions which this strife raises, and to arrive at clear answers. How are the differences between them to be resolved, both in theory and in practice? The challenge facing the religious leaders of mankind is to contemplate, with hearts filled with the spirit of compassion and desire for truth, the plight of humanity, and to ask themselves whether they cannot, in humility before their Almighty Creator, submerge their theological differences in a great spirit of mutual forbearance that will enable them to work together for the advancement of human understanding and peace.
Main
Bahá'í Page, Religious
Education (1998) 
Top
Days on which work should be suspended
The Bahá'í day begins at sunset of the previous calendar day, and ends at the following sunset.
First Day of Ridván April 21
(Declaration of Bahá'u'lláh, 1863)
Ninth Day of Ridván April 29
Twelfth Day of Ridván May 2
Declaration of The Báb, 1844 May 23
Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, 1892 May 29
Martyrdom of The Báb, 1850 July 9
Birth of The Báb, 1819 October 20
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh, 1817 November 12
Feast of Naw-Rúz March 21
(Bahá'í New Year) (The Spring Equinox)
Main
Bahá'í Page, Religious
Education (1998) Top