Religion, Public Schooling, and Citizenship Education: A Canadian Context

• In Event: 69.050 - Schooling in Pluralistic Contexts

Abstract

To what extent do faith-based, public schools support citizenship education in a Canadian, pluralist, liberal democracy? This study investigated how City Christian School in Alberta, Canada lives out its evangelical Christian identity while meeting the goals of civic education outlined in a provincially-mandated public school curriculum. This year-long ethnographic study examined the school’s faith-based approach to key attributes of citizenship education: civic knowledge, civic engagement, civic skills, and respect for multiple perspectives. Researchers found that the school’s approach was characterized by several significant themes: personal responsibility for the common good; taking leadership in serving others; citizenship grounded in friendship, forgiveness and reconciliation; walking with students “through the ways of the world”; and, a willingness to respect a diversity of perspectives.

Authors

• Amy J. Von Heyking, University of Lethbridge

• Lance Grigg, University of Lethbridge