Religious Schools Research Articles

“Out of the Mouths of Babes”: Testimonies of Black Student Experiences in a Modern-Day Segregation Academy

While many studies have examined the historic and modern impacts of school desegregation legislation on the schooling experiences of Black students in public schools, few have examined the racialized nature of private religious schools. To address this gap, this study explored the experiences of Black, middle school students attending a “modern-day segregation academy,” a contemporary private Christian school whose beginnings can be traced to the implementation of school desegregation legislation. Framed in BlackCrit theory, findings suggest the school reproduced a climate of antiblackness that permeated school culture, curriculum, peer interactions, and pedagogy. In response, Black students implemented various acts of subversive agency to maintain joy, humanity, and faith. This study reinforces the importance of racially affirming spaces, and necessitates the development of pedagogies, practices and policies that honor the spirit of Black students, in all school settings.

Under The Law: Oklahoma!

In June 2023, the Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board approved the establishment of a charter school by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. This amounts to state funding of a religious school. Robert Kim discusses how this decision goes against Oklahoma’s constitutional and legislative history, why allowing religious charters is not the same as allowing vouchers for religious schools, and the potential implications of allowing direct state funding of religious schools.

Https://habibiaislamicus.com/index.php/hirj/article/view/288

In the present era, the importance and relevance of modern education cannot be denied alongside religious education. Just as worldly and hereafter benefits cannot be obtained without religious education, similarly, progress in economic, social, political, and industrial fields is not possible without modern education. In this modern and astonishing era of science and technology, alongside religious, ethical, and spiritual progress, there should also be an understanding of modern science and technology. So, individuals who graduate from religious schools can benefit from acquiring modern education and become a means of earning a livelihood and contributing to the progress of society.

Religious School Education in Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Voting

Abstract This article examines the arguments made by the eleven Justices of the Supreme Federal Court who, in 2017, decided on the constitutionality of offering confessional education in public schools. We will explore how long-term disputed ethical and legal values are rearticulated in these votes concerning the notion of belief, almost 40 years after defining Religious Education as a fundamental human right by the Constitution. It is not a matter of harking back to the topic of secularism, as a social process or as a legal norm or political doctrine. The discursive analysis of the ministers’ votes formulations aims, on the contrary, to unveil the different religious constructions implied in their uses of the terms religion and rights and to understand how they operate when putting forward an idea of citizenship and/or the nation. The aim is to clarify, from this systematic examination of the votes, the configuration of common legal sense when issuing value judgments about religion and its protection. Therefore, our primary focus will be to circumscribe what counts as religion in these legal narratives.

Societal Security: A New Conceptual Framework to Analyse Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Politics in Israel

Haredi (ultra-orthodox) political parties in Israel, namely Yahadut HaTora and Shas, have been constantly affecting the domestic political agenda. Despite already flourished literature that covers the various roles these parties play; security dimension is yet to be addressed so far. This paper aims to analyse the Haredi politics in Israel in the identity-security nexus by questioning the political reflections of the Haredi parties’ persistent attachments to the security language in four core topics which are the Haredi educational autonomy, the exemption of religious school (yeshiva) students from the army service, the conversion to Judaism process (giyur), and the nationwide Shabbat regulations. By analysing the coalition documents that Haredi parties took part in, campaign posters of the 2013 and the 2015 elections, individual and institutional Haredi responses to certain crises regarding these topics, this paper claims that Haredi politics is organized by the articulation of identity-security concerns at varied levels.

Deductive Thematic Analysis of Educational Leadership Styles in Indonesian Religious School

This research aims to reveal the principal leadership styles of Christian religious secondary schools in Indonesia. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach. The informants in the study were teachers, vice principal, and school principal in a Christian religious secondary school. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, the data was analyzed using deductive thematic analysis, and its validity was checked using triangulation. The study results showed that the principal implemented five leadership styles in a Christian religious secondary school: paternalistic, charismatic, servant, transformational, and autocratic. This study indicates that leadership styles are urgently needed to improve Christian religious education quality; however, they are still limited in the literature. Therefore, the Ministry of Religion Affairs, particularly the Directorate General for Christian Community Guidance, should create a concise policy on leadership competency for Christian religious school principals. Furthermore, each principal in Christian religious schools should carry out various leadership styles properly to enhance management and leadership practices in their educational organizations.

Neutrality and School Choice: Two Cheers for Carson v. Makin

In 2022 the Supreme Court decided the case of Carson v. Makin, a First Amendment free-exercise case centering on the constitutionality of the exclusion of religious schools from Maine’s school tuition assistance program. In a 6–3 decision, the Court held that the exclusion of religious schools violated the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution. The dissenting opinion of Justice Breyer, in contrast, argued that the State acted within its power in excluding religious schools from the program. Notably, both opinions appeal to the concept of neutrality to justify their decision. In this article, I analyze the role neutrality plays in the case. I argue that the concept of neutrality does not operate as an absolute standpoint from which it is possible to judge whether public aid to religious schools is justified. Finally, I conclude that the majority’s opinion will result in further litigation.

Child Education Rights Versus Parental Preferences: A Paradox Between United Nations Conventions and Alternative Schooling Methods

Alternative schooling has been staunchly advocated for by groups disillusioned by government-sponsored public schooling that want to take personal control of their children’s education. There are concerns, however, about nontraditional schooling options that do not meet standards that apply to public schools. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) specifies children’s fundamental educational rights. In the United States, this includes mastering basic English literacy and numerical abilities, as well as exposure to some scientific and historical knowledge needed to negotiate mainstream society. This paper focuses on how certain homeschooling and religious schooling practices run the risk of denying adolescents the right to the education necessary to work in the modern economy and achieve their potential. We argue that the United States should allow alternative schooling options but ensure that they conform to specific standards set by the state in order to meet the CRC goals.

Peta Global Isu Riset Pendidikan Agama: Studi Bibliometrics Pada Database Scopus Tahun 2000-2021

This study aimed to explore the general trends of religious education through a literatures review analysis. This study uses a bibliometric method by utilizing data from the Scopus database from 2000 to 2021 and visualizing it using VOSviewer. The study found 1,372 published articles from 133 countries focused on religious education. From these results, the most influential article is entitled 'Worldview: The Meaning of the Concept and the Impact on Religious Education' written by Van Der Kooij J.C. In addition, an influential author is Wright A., who has authored 16 studies and obtained 187 citations. In comparison, the most influential country is the United Kingdom, which has published 347 studies and received 2234 citations. Based on the identification of keywords, this study shows that most religious education research areas cover curriculum, spirituality, Islamic religious education, secularism, and schools. Meanwhile, studies on inter-culturalism, sexuality, trauma-informed pedagogy and healing, moral disengagement, science, adolescent mental health, conflict of values, borderlands, democratic state, and digital literacy concerning religious education were still little discussed. Therefore, this study is expected to provide an overview of the research carried out and directions for further research in studying religious education.

Religious Exemptions, Public Health, and School Vaccination Requirements

This Viewpoint examines 2 recent cases that encapsulate the debate on religious exemptions to school vaccination requirements and further argues against these exemptions for schoolchildren.

Multiple masculinities of labour migrants: how Bangladeshi migrant men rationalize gender norms in their home country

ABSTRACT Although there is growing scholarship on marginalized migrants and racialized masculinities, studies on how migrant masculinities influence gender norms in the origin countries remain limited. This article explores the formation of multiple masculinities among low-paid Bangladeshi labour migrants to the Middle-East and South-East Asia. I pay particular attention to how migration influences men’s attitudes towards gender norms in their home country. This ethnography reveals that Bangladeshi migrant men advocate for female ‘modesty’ and religious schooling for women in their native communities. Struggling to achieve hegemonic masculine power abroad, men uphold rigid masculinities back home often by relying on a patriarchal interpretation of Islam. Regardless of the diverse ways in which Islam is practiced in the host countries, migrant men returning from both the Middle East and South-East Asia exhibit similarly conservative views on gender norms. This article highlights the need for further research that examines how formation of multiple masculinities among migrant men may impact gender relations in their native communities.

Countering radical terrorist ideology through psywar: lessons from the Malayan emergency

ABSTRACT Soon after the events of 9–11, it was recognised that the U.S. and the West had to wage effective information warfare if they were to succeed in countering or containing global terrorism as a result of radical Islamism. The West, however, has failed in this endeavour, epitomised by the contemporary onslaught from the Islamic State’s ideology resulting in the continuation of the global terrorist threat. Yet, lessons drawn from the case study of British success in the Malayan Emergency experience, with the necessary qualifications, are useful in waging information war today against contemporary radical Islamist terrorism. The key lessons for contemporary counter-terrorism include: the need for psywar operations to be accompanied by legal and security measures in consultation with local Muslim communities to contain the enablers of the adversary’s psywar apparatus, establishing better governance over religious schools, enabling local Muslims to lead psywar operations, the use former terrorists in counter-radicalisation, the promotion of inclusion, addressing underlying causes of alienation and paying careful attention to developments in the Middle East.

Sinergitas Guru Agama, Orang Tua, dan Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pembelajaran PAI di SMA NW Narmada

The objectives of this study are to analyze 1) the role of religious teachers, parents, and school principals; 2) the forms of synergy among religious teachers, parents, and school principals. The research method employed is descriptive qualitative research. Data were gathered through interviews, field notes, and documentation. Data collection techniques included interviews, observations, and documentation. The research findings present the following 1) the roles of religious teachers include: a) educator; b) administrator; c) supervisor; d) innovator. The roles of parents encompass a) educator and caregiver; b) mentor and supporter; c) facilitator and motivator. The roles of school principals involve a) educator; b) manager; c) supervisor; d) innovator. 2) the applied forms of synergy consist of a) involving parents in program development; b) fostering intensive communication; c) initiating introductions with parents; d) conducting regular meetings with parents.

The Implementation of Religious Education to Support the Socialization of Islamic Sharia at Sabang City

The implementation of Islamic Sharia, particularly in the Aceh region, is considered obligatory. The community bears a moral responsibility to support the socialization of Islamic Sharia. This responsibility falls upon various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and members of the community. Among these stakeholders, teachers are crucial in imparting religious education both at schools and within the home environment, while the broader community plays a significant role. This thesis explores the execution of religious education in supporting the socialization of Islamic Sharia, with the aim of understanding how Islamic religious education is implemented to foster the acceptance of Sharia principles in the city of Sabang. Additionally, the study seeks to identify the factors influencing the implementation of Islamic Sharia. The research methodology employs a descriptive research method, incorporating both literature review and field research techniques such as observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The study involves a sample of 50 students from MTsN Sabang, school principals, religious studies teachers in both public and religious schools, and a segment of the local community, particularly parents in the city of Sabang. The findings indicate that the implementation of religious education to support the socialization of Islamic Sharia in Sabang is carried out through instructing students on Islamic teachings, encompassing creed, worship, and ethics. Emphasis is placed on guidance regarding the obligation to observe modest dress, perform the five daily prayers, and attend Friday prayers. These teachings are conducted through discussions during Islamic studies in schools. Various factors influencing the implementation of Islamic Sharia include all components of society—teachers, parents, and the surrounding community—especially local leaders. Challenges persist, such as adherence to local customs, insufficient understanding of Islamic Sharia, and disparities in understanding among scholars and religious authorities. Efforts to enhance religious education for the socialization of Islamic Sharia in Sabang include increased teaching hours dedicated to religious studies. This allows for more in-depth exploration and discussions on Islamic Sharia. Recommendations are directed towards teachers to improve their instruction on Islamic teachings and to school principals to allocate specific time for students to discuss Sharia principles. Parents are urged to continuously remind their children to adhere to the implementation of Islamic Sharia.

Improving Self-Control of High School Students in Padang City (Viewed from the Perspective of Islamic Religious Education)

This study examines the improvement of self-control among high school students in Padang City: from the perspective of Islamic religious education. This research aims to explore the efforts of Islamic religious education teachers in enhancing the self-control of students in high schools in Padang City from the perspective of Islamic religious education. The research method used is qualitative with a case study approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study indicate that Islamic religious education teachers at SMA Pertiwi 1 Padang make various efforts to improve students' self-control in the aspects of Behavior Control and Cognitive Control. In terms of Behavior Control, teachers use religious activities, character formation through the subject of faith and morals, as well as teaching the moral values of Islam. In terms of Cognitive Control, teachers apply active learning, remedial and enrichment programs, motivation, and student development. The results of this study show that the efforts of Islamic religious education teachers at SMA Pertiwi 1 Padang in improving students' self-control have had a positive impact, as students develop the ability to regulate behavior, control emotions, and make good decisions. Supporting factors in improving students' self-control include well-programmed religious activities, school and teacher support, and a conducive environment. Meanwhile, inhibiting factors include academic pressure, negative peer influence, and an unsupportive environment. This research provides deeper insights and understanding of the efforts of Islamic religious education teachers in improving students' self-control in high schools in Padang City, as well as the supporting and inhibiting factors that influence this process. This study can serve as a reference for further research and provide practical benefits in enhancing students' self-control through an Islamic religious education approach.

Women’s Religious Schools in the Ukrainian Lands (1854–1918) in Modern Historiography

The historiography of women’s religious schools began to emerge simultaneously with the creation and functioning of these educational institutions in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Individual works from this period contain ample and interesting factual material, including statistical data on the numbers of students and teachers. In the Soviet period, the study of this subject ceased, because women’s religious education was not among historians’ research interests at this time. The current period in the historiography of the problem began with the first years of Ukrainian independence. During the past three decades, a number of works of various formats on the history of education have been produced, but neither diocesan women’s schools nor women’s schools of the Department of Religious Affairs receive much attention in these studies. Usually, authors either limit themselves to listing the basic facts from the history of these institutions or do not mention them at all. The development of gender studies and the appearance of works on women’s history also have failed to significantly affect the historiography of women’s religious schools, as researchers continued to use approaches traditional for history of education, such as the study of the educational process or characterization of an institution’s student body and faculty. Since the 2000s, works begin to appear that focus specifically on the system of women’s religious education in the Ukrainian lands. A significant achievement of these works has been the accumulation of various statistical materials important for the comparative analysis of women’s religious schools. However, they also for the most part reproduce methods and approaches characteristic of 19th-century historiography, enumerating the basic facts from the history of these schools without proper analysis. Further, we may sometimes come across characterizations of women’s religious schools that are not grounded in careful analysis or backed by appropriate sources. Still, in recent years there have been positive changes in the study of the diocesan schools and schools of the Department of Religious Affairs, such as attention to new themes and the use of interdisciplinary approaches. Overall, the subject remains promising for further research.

Religious schools: a transparent right to discriminate?

ABSTRACT Discrimination laws have long contained exceptions for otherwise unlawful discriminatory conduct. An increasing site of tension has been the exceptions granted to religious schools. These schools maintain that they should be able to adopt an approach to education which reflects the faith-based ethos of the school community. However, there are concerns that some faith-based approaches can cause harm to, and exclude, LGBTIQ+ staff and students. An approach that has been under active consideration in Australia is to allow some discrimination by religious schools so long as they give public notice of their policy of doing so. This ‘notice provision’ exists in several state and territory discrimination laws, and has been considered in recent law reform inquiries across the country. In this paper, we challenge the underlying idea that prior notice justifies discriminatory conduct. We argue that such an approach sits uncomfortably with the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of discrimination law, and that transparency is an insufficient reason to permit discrimination. Notice provisions appear to evade, rather than answer, the question of how to balance competing human rights to religious freedom and equality. As such, we argue that discrimination by religious schools cannot be justified on the basis of notice.

Study of the Academic Culture of Religion-Based Schools in Urban Areas

The development of students' potential and achievement in schools is strongly supported by learning practices based on a quality academic culture. This article describes the challenges and efforts of three private religious high schools in the City of East Jakarta to build their academic culture in their respective schools. This study uses qualitative methods, data collection is done through observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD) and secondary data collection. The subjects in this study were school principals, teachers, students and parents in three senior high schools which became the locus of this study. The results of this study indicate that the challenges and efforts to develop an academic culture are responded to differently. Each school that is our research focus mobilizes its resources to build and develop an academic culture. Challenges and efforts to develop an academic culture are of course related to school characteristics such as the quality of human resources, infrastructure and financial capabilities owned by each school itself.

The prevalence of undernutrition among students attending traditional Ethiopian orthodox Tewahedo church schools in northwest Ethiopia.

Undernutrition is a major public health concern affecting the health, growth, development, and academic performance of adolescents studying in school. During this crucial period, dietary patterns have a vital impact on lifetime nutritional status and health. The problem of undernutrition among particular groups of adolescents attending traditional schools has not previously been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among adolescents aged 10-19 years attending Orthodox Church schools in northwest Ethiopia. An institution-based, cross-sectional study design was employed, with data collected from March 1 to 30, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit a total of 848 male attendees of traditional schools. Data were collected via an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. The nutritional status of participants was assessed using anthropometric measurements. The WHO Anthroplus software was used for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with nutritional status. The degree of association between the independent variables and the dependent variable was assessed using odds ratios, reported with 95% confidence intervals, and a threshold of p ≤ 0.05. The prevalence of undernutrition was found to be 61.3% [95% CI: 58.1, 64.6]. The likelihood of developing undernutrition was elevated among those adolescents who were following the traditional school levels of dikuna (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.3, 13.6), kinne (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.4, 14.6), aquaquame (AOR = 9.9, 95% CI = 2.5, 39.88), tirguame (AOR = 6.4, 95% CI = 1.6, 25.6), and among those whose mothers had no formal education [AOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 12.8]. In contrast, those adolescents who always washed their hands after a toilet visit had lower odds of undernutrition than their counterparts [AOR = 0.7, 95%CI: 0.5, 0.98]. More than three out of five participating male adolescents were undernourished. Thus, to improve the nutritional status of adolescents studying in traditional church schools, extensive health education for these adolescents is essential. Moreover, the establishment of well-resourced traditional religious school, equipped for the provision of an adequate, diversified diet, is important. Developing the habit of handwashing after visiting the toilet and before and after food preparation is also recommended for adolescent students.

Pengaruh Pendidikan Agama Islam dalam Keluarga dan Budaya Religius Sekolah terhadap Ketaatan Beragama Peserta Didik

This study aims to determine and test empirical data related to the influence of Islamic religious education in the family and school religious culture on the religious obedience of students in private madrasah aliyah in the Barumun sub-district, Padang Lawas district. This research uses associative method. The associative method is research that aims to determine the relationship, influence between two or more variables with a correlational and regression approach to quantitative data obtained from research objects, namely students from Private Madrasah Aliyah in Barumun sub-district, Padang Lawas district. The sample of this research is 105 people. The type of analysis used in this research is multiple linear and correlation test which is described descriptively. The results of this study are, first, there is a significant influence between Islamic religious education in the family on the religious observance of private madrasah aliyah students in the Barumun sub-district, Padang Lawas Regency, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.214 which means that Islamic religious education in the family affects religious observance students by 21.4%). Second, the results of the study show that there is a significant influence between the religious culture of the school on religious observance, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.145, which means that the religious culture of the school influences the religious observance of students at Private Madrasah Aliyah in Barumun District by 14.5%. Third, the results of the study show that there is a significant influence between Islamic religious education and school religious culture on religious observance together, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.190, which means that Islamic religious education and school religious culture affect the religious observance of madrasah students private aliyah in the Barumun district of 19.0%.