Why is religious literacy important?
Faculty of Education to host symposium to debate the importance of religion in public education
The place of religion in public education is a hot-button issue these days - one that invokes passionate debate and challenges school systems in all parts of the world. Quebec's newly introduced Ethics and Religious Culture program, for instance, has elicited a range of opinions and sparked highly charged discussion in our schools, homes and media. Does inter-faith dialogue contribute to the emotional intelligence of our youth? Does it undermine the religious (or non-religious) stance of the home? Is the curriculum inappropriate in our secular society?
平特五不中's Faculty of Education invites the educational community, policy-makers and the general public to a one-day symposium to look at the question, Why Is Religious Literacy Important in Today's World? This event aims to provide food for thought and useful references for parents, educators and school administrators.
A panel of internationally recognized experts from Europe, the U.S. and Canada has been invited to discuss the importance of religious literacy, the approach taken in various counties and the issues it has raised. The panelists are: Dr. Robert Jackson, University of Warwick; Dr. Diane Moore, Harvard University; Dr. Isabelle Saint-Martin, Universit茅 Sorbonne; Dr. Georges Leroux, Universit茅 du Qu茅b茅c 脿 Montr茅al; and Dr. Spencer Boudreau, 平特五不中.
The event will take place Oct. 2, 2009, in Moyse Hall, 平特五不中's Faculty of Arts Building, 853 Sherbrooke St. W. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The discussion will be conducted in English. The symposium is free, but participants and the media are asked to register in advance as seats are limited.