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Attitudes Towards Religion in Kindergartens—an Ethical Discussion

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Migration, Religion and Early Childhood Education

Part of the book series: Wiener Beiträge zur Islamforschung ((WSI))

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Abstract

This chapter combines two questions: How can teachers be better prepared with regard to religious and cultural diversity? How can religious education framework planning counteract possible indoctrination? A short summary of the development of laws and framework plans in Norway concerning kindergartens and religious diversity is provided as background. In short, it can be described as a journey from antagonism between religion-based pedagogy and secularist ideology via pragmatic cooperation towards some converging interests and a common framework plan open to religious diversity. Against that background I discuss the following issues in more general terms: (1) The meaning of religious truth in an educational context; (2) attitudes to religion in kindergartens (based on empirical research)—a typology; (3) understanding the relationship between religious and cultural identity. Based on the discussion, I suggest a few theses for holistic religious education for discussion and possible application on early childhood education in Europe.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Norwegian texts are translated into English, as few readers outside Scandinavia understand Norwegian.

  2. 2.

    https://www.korczak.org.uk/korczaks-rights.html, accessed October 29, 2019.

  3. 3.

    http://www.asylselskapet.no/index.cfm, accessed October 29, 2019.

  4. 4.

    https://www.ssb.no/en/utdanning/statistikker/barnehager/aar-endelige, English version, accessed October 29, 2019.

  5. 5.

    The present Framework Plan for Kindergartens (English version) has an introduction that reflects the process (Ministry of Education and Research 2017), available at https://www.udir.no/in-english/, accessed October 29, 2019. The laws of 1975 and 1983 are listed in governmental publications, but not in translation.

  6. 6.

    https://www.regjeringen.no/globalassets/upload/kd/vedlegg/barnehager/engelsk/act_no_64_of_june_2005_web.pdf, accessed October 29, 2019.

  7. 7.

    https://www.udir.no/globalassets/filer/barnehage/rammeplan/framework-plan-for-kindergartens2-2017.pdf, accessed October 29, 2019.

  8. 8.

    http://kvas.barnehage.no/, accessed January 12, 2019, my translation.

  9. 9.

    ‘Diese Offenheit wird aber weithin nicht in eine entsprechende Praxis umgesetzt’.

  10. 10.

    ‘Die Aufgabe dürfte hier darin bestehen, an diese Offenheit konzeptionell anzuknüpfen, nicht zuletzt auch bei der Aus- und Fortbildung’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trondheim, Norway

    Sturla Sagberg

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  1. Sturla Sagberg
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  1. Universität Wien, Wien, Austria

    Ednan Aslan

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Sagberg, S. (2020). Attitudes Towards Religion in Kindergartens—an Ethical Discussion. In: Aslan, E. (eds) Migration, Religion and Early Childhood Education. Wiener Beiträge zur Islamforschung. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29809-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29809-8_4

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