The core aim of integrated schools is to provide the child with a caring self-fulfilling educational experience which will enable him/her to become a fulfilled and caring adult. The harmonious, peaceful environments that characterize integrated schools in Northern Ireland are particularly significant in that they have developed within a larger…

Barbour recounts his experience as a teacher of religious studies to students whose political and social stances are related to conservative religious views. Differentiating between students who are thoughtful participants or silent observers and those who stridently label the academic community as liberally-biased, Barbour describes his…

The Executive Director of ASCD joins a group of U.S. educators traveling to Israel on an education mission sponsored by the America-Israel Friendship League. The educators visit the Gesher al Hawadi school, which was established by the Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel. Located in an Arab town, the school has equal numbers of…

This article reports on two Mideast-themed schools which have attracted fierce controversy amplified in the news media and the blogosphere. A new public school with a focus on Arabic language and culture is set to open in New York City this week, after being assailed for months by opponents who claim it will be a taxpayer-funded Islamic school…

As we think about current religious diversity and conflict in U.S. schools, it is important to note that religious conflict is not a new phenomenon in the history of U.S. schooling. This article briefly outlines the current and historical connections among religion, ethnicity, and K-12 education in the U.S. in order to note its persistence as well…

Discusses (1) the relationship between democratic values, religious beliefs, and religious prejudice; (2) legal issues; and (3) policy implications for educating students in a religiously diverse, democratic society. Outlines implications and practical suggestions for teacher educators and classroom teachers. Includes 25 endnotes. (MLH)

Describes one secondary educator's experiences teaching in Belfast, Northern Ireland, noting differences in education practice between Northern Ireland and the United States. The article highlights the pastoral system (in which teachers monitor students' welfare), the national curriculum, and changing schools (schools are beginning to try an…

This article reports on a lawsuit filed by Michael A. Newdow, a California atheist, on behalf of his daughter, against inclusion of the words "under God" in public schools' recitals of the United States Pledge of Allegiance. He said that the words "under God" represent "religious dogma" that is needlessly divisive.…

This article reports on the fiery California atheist who lost his bid at the U.S. Supreme Court to get "under God" stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. Michael A. Newdow, an emergency-room physician with a law degree who represented himself before the Supreme Court in the high-profile case against the Elk Grove, California, school…

Growing out of Northern Ireland's 1980s Peace Education Project (aimed at breaking down Protestant/Catholic barriers), the Education for Mutual Understanding initiative focuses first on helping schoolchildren deal with everyday conflicts in their lives. EMU uses conflict resolution and peer mediation to help schools organize into learning…

For many years, Northern Ireland has been living under the shadow of civil strife. These years have produced relatively little literature, either adult or juvenile, which deals directly with the so-called "troubles." Literature can play an important role guiding against prejudicial attitudes and in educating individuals about society as…

General reasons for the upsurge of religious dogmatism in American society are discussed, the nature of the faculty encounter with dogmatic students is examined, and appropriate responses to student religious dogmatism are outlined. (MSE)

Conflict between theological conservatives and more liberal members of the Southern Baptist Convention has created dissention affecting its higher education institutions. It is predicted Baptist higher education will be funded and supported by a broader base of institutions. As conservatives have taken control of seminaries, several major…

Baptists' propensity for splitting apart arises from the faith's avowed love of theological argument. Gives an overview of Baptist denominations, and identifies the main issues that divide them: atonement, predestination, the nature and origins of good and evil, worship practices, church governance, gender issues, and other social and cultural…

The California 3Rs project aims to prepare educators and community leaders to use First Amendment principles to address issues of religious liberty and religious/ethnic diversity and to help educators teach about religion and cultures in constitutionally and educationally sound ways. The project helped school officials and conservative Christians…