In the Netherlands, state and religious schools are equally financed by the government. Parents are free to choose a school that optimally fits their moral values as well as their idea of a good education. As a result, there is a huge variety of schools, which include those orthodox Reformed schools that form part of the so-called Bible Belt…

This long-awaited synthesis approaches the past three centuries with an eye to highlighting the importance of significant schools, as well as important women educators in the emergence of secondary education for girls. At the same time, each contributor pays careful attention to the specific political, cultural, and socio-economic factors that…

This article deals with the question what pedagogical and religious educational contributions have to offer to the debate on citizenship. Some historical background and theoretical conceptualisations of nowadays political focus on citizenship are described particularly focusing on the Dutch case. Explicit attention is given to the role of religion…

In Dutch primary schools, Islamic religious education is presented in three ways. First, in public schools, parents may ask the municipality to create a facility for religious education (to be given by a local imam, for example) on school premises. Municipalities may also subsidize the teacher's salary. Islamic religious education (up to three…

Responds to a pro-religious article by de Ruyter on Christian schools in a pluralistic society, suggesting that de Ruyter is unrealistic in many of his recommendations and conclusions and noting that while de Ruyter appears to be building a rather generous defense for the infusion of Christian schools in a democracy, the defense incorporates…

Discusses whether separate Christian schools are defensible in a pluralistic, liberal democracy, presenting the perspective of Christian parents and assuming that these parents want their children to attend separate Christian schools. The paper argues that Christian education and separate Christian schools can be compatible with civic education…

Responds to a pro-religious article on Christian schools in a pluralistic society (the Netherlands), examining religious education in North America and the education of religious teachers. The paper emphasizes the creation of two distinct school systems in the U.S. and Canada which evolved from Catholic perceptions that public education was not…

Replies to two authors who commented on an article about Christian schools in a pluralistic society. The paper focuses on four questions and comments from both of the commentaries related to spirituality and religious education. It also discusses the issue of educating for critical thinking and defends the original article's central ideas and…