Xenophobia and Religious Education: Evoking an Education That Takes Responsibility in South Africa

• In Event: Religious Hostilities and Social Responsibility: Religious Pluralism and Education

Abstract

This paper responds to the questions on what the limitations of religious education in the (re)construction of a violence-free society against foreign nationals are and how religious education can be redesigned to enact violence-free identities. The paper problematises and recommends a reconstruction of religious education in South Africa in the context of the periodic xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals. We used critical emancipatory research to couch the qualitative study, with ten secondary school principals interviewed. The findings suggest that while South Africa has made strides in many aspects, the issue of xenophobia taunts the beauty of the rainbow nation, creating African exceptionalism, isolation and social crises. We argue that religious education should contribute to respect towards humanity regardless of nationality

Authors

• Bekithemba Dube, University of the Free State

• Thuthukile Jita, University of the Free State

• Loyiso C. Jita, University of the Free State