Abstract
The key issue for a faith-based school is the extent to which, if at all, its aims, ethos, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment should differ from other schools and the impact this has for its students on their learning, attitudes and dispositions. This chapter explores these issues with specific reference to the teaching of sex education and the teaching of science education. I conclude that the role of religion is somewhat different in science education and in sex education. In science education, a teacher needs to be sensitive to religious objections to aspects of the science curriculum for two reasons: first, out of respect for students; secondly, because not to be sensitive is to make learning in science less likely for some students. However, it is not the case that a science teacher should alter the science that is taught because of the religious views of students or anyone else. In sex education, though, religious views, while they should not have the power that some religious believers would like, nevertheless can, indeed often should, have a place in decision making. This is because of the central importance of values in general and religious views in particular for sex education and because values lack the degree of objectivity of scientific knowledge.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Baker, S. (2003). Bone of contention: Is evolution true? (3rd ed.). Rugby: Biblical Creation Society.
Barr, J. (1984). Escaping from fundamentalism. London: SCM.
Blake, S., & Katrak, Z. (2002). Faith, values and sex & relationships education. London: National Children’s Bureau.
Brickhouse, N. W., & Letts, W. J., IV. (1998). The problem of dogmatism in science education. In J. T. Sears & J. C. Carper (Eds.), Curriculum, religion, and public education: Conversations for an enlarging public square (pp. 221–230). New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.
Common Worship. (2000). Marriage. London: Church House.
DCSF. (2007). Guidance on the place of creationism and intelligent design in science lessons. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20071204131026/http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11890. Accessed 17 Nov 2013.
Foucault, M. (1990). The history of sexuality: An introduction. (French edition, R. Hurley, Trans.). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Graebsch, A., & Schiermeier, Q. (2006). Anti-evolutionists raise their profile in Europe. Nature, 444, 406–407.
Halstead, J. M., & Reiss, M. J. (2003). Values in sex education: From principles to practice. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Haydon, G. (2009). Faith in education: A tribute to Terence McLaughlin. London: Institute of Education, University of London.
Jones, L., & Reiss, M. J. (Eds.). (2007). Teaching about scientific origins: Taking account of creationism. New York: Peter Lang.
Kitcher, P. (1983). Abusing science: The case against creationism. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Lenderyou, G., & Porter, M. (Eds.). (1994). Sex education, values and morality. London: Health Education Authority.
Long, D. E. (2011). Evolution and religion in American education: An ethnography. Dordrecht: Springer.
MacEoin, D. (2009). Music, chess and other sins: Segregation, integration, and Muslim schools in Britain. London: Civitas.
Miller, J. D., Scott, E. C., & Okamoto, S. (2006). Public acceptance of evolution. Science, 313, 765–766.
Moore, R. (2007). The history of the creationism/evolution controversy and likely future developments. In L. Jones & M. Reiss (Eds.), Teaching about scientific origins: Taking account of creationism (pp. 11–29). New York: Peter Lang.
National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine. (2008). Science, evolution, and creationism. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Natsal. (2013). Publications. http://www.natsal.ac.uk/natsal-3/publications. Accessed 17 Nov 2013.
Oldfield, E., Hartnett, L., & Bailey, E. (2013). More than an educated guess: Assessing the evidence on faith schools. London: Theos.
Parker, G. E. (2006). Creation: Facts of life – How real science reveals the hand of God. Los Angeles: New Leaf Press.
Parker-Jenkins, M., Hartas, D., & Irving, B. A. (2005). In good faith: Schools religion and public funding. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Plimmer, I. (1994). Telling lies for God: Reason vs creationism. Milsons Point: Random House.
Porter, R., & Hall, L. (1995). The facts of life: The creation of sexual knowledge in Britain, 1650–1950. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Rasmussen, M. L. (2010). Secularism, religion and ‘progressive’ sex education. Sexualities, 13, 699–712.
Reiss, M. J. (1998). Christian views of sex and sex education. In M. J. Reiss & S. A. Mabud (Eds.), Sex education and religion (pp. 135–149). Cambridge: The Islamic Academy.
Reiss, M. J. (2008). Should science educators deal with the science/religion issue? Studies in Science Education, 44, 157–186.
Reiss, M. J. (2011). How should creationism and intelligent design be dealt with in the classroom? Journal of Philosophy of Education, 45, 399–415.
Reiss, M. J. (2013). Beliefs and the value of evidence. In J. K. Gilbert & S. M. Stocklmayer (Eds.), Communication and engagement with science and technology: Issues and dilemmas (pp. 148–161). New York: Routledge.
Reiss, M. J., & Mabud, S. A. (Eds.). (1998). Sex education and religion. Cambridge: The Islamic Academy.
Reiss, M. J., & White, J. (2013). An aims-based curriculum: The significance of human flourishing for schools. London: IOE Press.
Smerecnik, C., Schaalma, H., Gerjo, K., Meijer, S., & Poelman, J. (2010). An exploratory study of Muslim adolescents’ views on sexuality: Implications for sex education and prevention. BMC Public Health, 10, 533.
Thatcher, A. (2002). Living together and Christian ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
The Islamic Academy. (1991). Sex education in the school curriculum: The religious perspective – An agreed statement. Cambridge: The Islamic Academy.
Thomson, R. (Ed.). (1993). Religion, ethnicity & sex education: Exploring the issues – A resource for teachers and others working with young people. London: National Children’s Bureau.
Thomson, R. (1997). Diversity, values and social change: Renegotiating a consensus on sex education. Journal of Moral Education, 26, 257–271.
Watson, D. C. C. (1975). The great brain robbery. Worthing: Henry E. Walter.
Winslow, M. W., Staver, J. R., & Scharmann, L. C. (2011). Evolution and personal religious belief: Christian university biology-related majors’ search for reconciliation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48, 1026–1049.
Working Party of the Board for Social Responsibility. (1995). Something to celebrate: Valuing families in church and society. London: Church House Publishing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Reiss, M.J. (2014). Sex Education and Science Education in Faith-Based Schools. In: Chapman, J., McNamara, S., Reiss, M., Waghid, Y. (eds) International Handbook of Learning, Teaching and Leading in Faith-Based Schools. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8972-1_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8972-1_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8971-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8972-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)