Mishmash and its Effects upon Learning in the Primary School

Abstract

This paper reports and interprets the findings of four small‐scale and exploratory research projects conducted in response to charges that multi‐faith religious education is confusing, that it corrupts, dilutes and trivialises the faiths and that it compromises the inheritance of mainstream culture. Our enquiries were prompted by the Lords debates preceding the 1988 Act and by contemporary discussion in which the multi‐faith approach in religious education was viewed with some disfavour and even rejected as ‘mishmash’. Several speculative criticisms have been made which concern the effects of multi‐faith religious education upon children but little empirical evidence is available. The results of our enquiry are reported within their limits and suggestions are made for further research.