University of Ottawa, Ottawa
Our workshop, “Whose religion: Education about religion in public schools”, will be held at the University of Ottawa on November 4 – 6, 2013. The goal of this workshop is to examine the complex intersection of religion and education from a variety of theoretical and transnational perspectives. While there are unique features to the Canadian scene where education is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, the controversies in Canada have their parallels in other countries where the role of religion in education is also being contested by educators, policy makers, religious groups and parents. While it engages current issues around religion in public schools, it goes further to ask critical questions about the ways in which religion in education is conceptualized and regulated in a variety of Canadian and international jurisdictions. Religion and education are highly contested particularly in the 21st Century, making this a very timely topic for academic investigation as jurisdictions attempt to find the balance between religious freedom, equality, social cohesion, concerns about fundamentalism and security.