An explorative study on the approach of private schools in Lebanon preparing students for a society with religious diversity -

Abstract

Since there is a concentration of religious diversity found in Lebanon the purpose of this qualitative naturalistic study is to document and describe how religious education in terms of the teaching of religion as well as teaching about religious diversity is approached in private Lebanese schools. Moreover, the study collected data on the goals, policies, and practices, in place in schools that are related to teaching of religions and religious diversity and compares these goals, practices, curriculum, and extracurricular activities between religious schools and secular schools. It is a case study that takes a look at six private schools. These schools consist of a Sunni Muslim school, Shiite Muslim school, Orthodox Christian school, Maronite Christian school, and two secular schools. Data was collected through interviews with the principals, academic coordinators and teachers, and triangulated through examination of existing documented policies and related curricular material. The study followed the guidelines of grounded theory methodology analyzing data using the constant comparative method. The results showed that all the religious schools have a stated goal of educating their students religiously and religion diversity education is addressed in a minimal manner. Religious diversity is brought up in the Civics, History, and Arabic courses. Religion is further mentioned in the science courses in the Islamic Schools, and in the form of World Religions in Secular School 2. Extracurricular activities which promoted religious diversity were rarely in religious schools, yet are found in the Shiite school in the form of a student exchange program and in Secular School 1 in the form of religious holiday celebrations. The policies of the religious schools mandated that students follow the norms of the majority: in the Christian School no hijab, in the Muslim Schools all wore the hijab, in the Orthodox School no religious symbols were allowed. The main difference found between the religious and secular schools is t