Submitted by Administrator on Thu, 15/10/2015 - 10:15
This relevant debate is part of the Festival of Ideas 2015. It will focus on the place of faith in education, a question of special significance in the light of changing cultural dynamics of religion and secularity in British public life.
Faith plays a pivotal role in all areas of British national life, from recent fears about home-grown Islamic extremism, to questions of Christianity’s long-central role in public life, to the shaping of values in an age of doubt.
This debate asks whether the inclusion of religion in curricula, and the funding or even existence of faith schools, are more likely to foster inter-religious understanding and contribute to an inclusive society, or to encourage division and to undermine the goals of education. Bringing together senior academics including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, policy makers and other experts, this debate will offer speakers and audiences across different sectors, faiths and communities an opportunity to engage in thoughtful and critical reflection on some of the most important questions of identity, diversity, and civic formation in contemporary British culture.
Speakers:
-Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, British Humanist Association
-Adam Dinham, Professor of Faith and Public Policy, Goldsmiths, University of London
-Farid Panjwani, Director of the Centre for Research and Evaluation in Muslim Education; Senior Lecturer, Institute of Education, University College London
-Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge;
Chaired by Catrin Nye, BBC
For information and to book a place, see www.festivalofideas.cam.ac.uk/events/faith-and-education-uneasy-partnership