‘Spiritual development’ in the education reform act: A source of acrimony, apathy or accord?1

Abstract

and its effect in educational practice. We appear to be faced with a Hobson's choice of either acrimony or apathy. Although reference to the spiritual is not new, for the present Act merely echoes the earlier 1944 Act, some have taken the view that on this occasion the word was re-inserted merely as a sop to the religious lobby. Speculation on how it came to be included in the Act, however, is a barren exercise; the question to be faced now is whether it identifies in its own right something that is essential to the education of all children, and if so, how this dimension may be represented in the curriculum. In this article, I will be defending the threefold thesis that (i) the word 'spiritual' does point to aspects of human nature and learning which are not subsumed by the other adjectives; (ii) that it can be unpacked in a way which is specific enough for curriculum implementation and potentially acceptable both to those who take a religious view of life and those who do not; and (iii) that it is not merely desirable but essential that these aspects receive due attention in the education of all children.