Theme: Religious diversity in the UK and the faith schools debate
Lexical area: Religions
Cross curricular links: Religion, Personal and Social Education

Instructions for language assistants in italics

Classroom materials

Introduction
This topic could be potentially sensitive so check with teachers before you cover it. Some state schools abroad do not allow religious instruction of any kind although this topic is more from a cultural studies perspective. Be careful to avoid any conflict amongst pupils and keep the topic focussed on the UK's issues. If pupils are comfortable airing their views and listening to each other's viewpoint this could be a rewarding lesson.

There has always been religious diversity in the UK and some sections of the population have long established communities. Immigration to the UK in recent years has increased the numbers of people with diverse religions. After Christianity, Islam is the most common faith with 1.6 million followers (3% of the population). Note that 23% of people in the 2001 census declared no religious affiliation. Some communities have very lively festivals that are enjoyed by people from all walks of life and the radio and TV reflect the religious diversity in their programming.

• Higher levels can start a brainstorming discussion based on these key words: worship, prayer, belief, faith etc. Then ask them; 'What will this lesson be about?' 'What types of things could you put under the title belief?' 'How do people find a faith?'
  
  Lower levels can concentrate on questions based on images: a church : 'Who goes there?' 'What's the name of their religion?' 'What do they do in a church?' and show pictures of worship in a mosque or private dwelling, a synagogue or a street.

1. Religion in your country
The first two questions review the vocabulary they will need. Draw up a list on the board- Christianity( name of religion) a Christian (a member of the religious group)

• Ask them to think about the last two questions in pairs before checking with the whole class.

Task 1 Religion in your country

• What is the main religion practised by people in your country?
• What other religious groups exist?
• Do many people attend church services or other types of service?
• Is there a difference between generations?
• Are older people more or less religious?

2. Your beliefs
Give examples from your own experience, friends and town. Put students in pairs to work through the questions then invite examples from pupils. You could do them as an individual exercise where everyone writes down their thoughts and then you read out the anonymous suggestions to the whole class.

Task 2 Your beliefs

• Which of the below would you describe yourself as?
  
  • A religious person
  • A fairly religious
  • Not interested in religion at all
  • Oher ...

• Do you receive any religious education at school or outside school?

• What types of religious activity are you involved in?

• Do you study any religious texts?

• Do you know anything about world religions?

• Do you in a choir?

• Do you believe in any of the following ideas?
  
  • Life after death
  • Reincarnation
  • Spirits or ghosts
  • God or some greater power

• Do you have the same religious beliefs as your family and your ancestors?

• Is there something that you really believe in?

• Do you have any political beliefs?

• Who influenced the development of your beliefs?

3. Religions in the UK today
It might help students if you mention that the UK's King Henry 8th broke with Rome and made the monarch head of the Church of England. They should be able to tell you the historical reasons for the divisions between church and state (if there is one) in their country. Read up on this before the lesson if you can.

Task 3 Religions in the UK today
Here is a list of some of the main religions practised by people in the UK.

• How much do you know about each one?

• Have you heard of them before?

• Do people in your country practise any of these religions? Or any others?
  
  • Christianity
  • Buddhism
  • Islam
  • Hinduism
  • Judaism

4. Read and find out
Give out the questions and make sure the students understand them before giving out the text. The follow up questions could be done in pairs or as a whole group.

Task 4 Read and find out

• What is the main religious faith in the UK? (Christianity)

• Do many people practise their faith? (no, very tiny sections of the population)

• Which religious groups have their own schools? (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, CofE)

• Have people in the UK got a strong religious identity? (Yes, a near total majority classify themselves as being something, even if they do not practise)

• Why is there a new employment law for religious rights? (It's not fair to only recognise the needs of Christians)

Follow up questions
Find in the text

• One thing in common between your country and the UK
• One thing which you did not know

5. Religion is not cool
Pairs or groups can work through this but you could discuss up to the last question and then put them in to groups to think of a 3 point plan to attract young people to religion.

Task 5 Religion is not cool
Statistics in the UK show that fewer and fewer young people bother to attend religious services regularly. Two thirds of 18-24 year olds say they have no religious affiliations. Even pupils in faith schools, like Catholic schools, said that they did not attend church regularly in the same way as their parents. The reasons given are that it is just not cool to be a Christian or to follow your parents' beliefs.

• What do young people in your country think?
• Is it necessary to reject your parents' beliefs to become an adult?
• Did previous generations have more need for religion than your generation?
• Is there any room for religion in teenagers lives?
• How could churches make their services more attractive to young people?

6. Faith schools
You could make this into a debate if students have sufficient knowledge and if this is an issue in your host country. Split the groups into 2 types and ask one group to think of the supporting arguments for faith schools and the other group to think of the arguments against faith schools and the arguments in favour of everyone being educated together. After preparation split them in to small debating teams of opposing sides or have a whole class debate on the issue.

• Focus on the questions which best suit your students. Put them in to small groups to pool ideas

Task 6 Faith schools
There is much debate in the UK about faith schools. Faith schools receive some tax payers money from the government to help run the school. Pupils do not pay to attend the state aided faith schools. There are also private faith schools too. Some people support them and think they give people the right to be educated in their beliefs. Some people are very much against the idea of faith schools because they think that this isolates groups from each other and can cause intolerance. The anti faith school campaign wants everyone to be educated together in the same school and to learn about each others' beliefs and customs. Religious groups say that faith schools are necessary if they want to educate their young people completely.

• Are there any faith schools in your country? Do you attend one?
• What might the advantages of a faith school be?
• How might a faith school make sure that new pupils really do practise their faith?
• What are the advantages of educating everyone together in a multi faith environment?
• Do you think schools should teach religion? Whose job is it?
• What is the policy on religious education in your school?
• Are you satisfied with the religious education you get?

7. Rules for living and working together
Give guidance with maybe a rule from your old school before groups work together. Give examples of concrete scenarios: What would happen if a Sikh student was made fun of because he wears a headdress? What would happen if someone made a negative comment about the colour of a person's skin?

Task 7 Rules for living and working together
State schools encourage tolerance and harmony in their schools but it is sometimes difficult to get pupils to respect each others customs. In UK schools there are different religious beliefs, ways of dress, taste in food and attitudes towards family and relationships.

• Imagine you are making a list of school rules or guidelines for behaviour to give to all pupils in a multi cultural school.. Think of at least 3 main points and decide what the school might do if there is conflict between pupils on matters of race or religion.

Internet links

This site has find out guides which give very accessible background to how racial diversity works in the UK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/teachers/citizenship_11_14/subject_are...

This is an online debate about faith schools in Scotland:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2724039.stm

Here you can find news, debates and background to the UK's religions:
www.bbc.co.uk/religion

This is a GCSE religious education site with teaching advice and materials:
http://www.resauce.org/

This site has a good summary of the main religions in the World:
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/world_religions/index.shtml

Here you can get the latest figures for religions and participation in religious services.
www.statistics.gov.uk

Essential UK archive
My favourite festival gives a background to the Hindu festival Diwali

By Clare Lavery