Dianne Gereluk

Should Muslim Headscarves Be Banned in French Schools

The recent ban of ‘conspicuous’ religious symbols in French state schools has received international attention, especially the uncertainty of whether Muslims will comply with the ban. The issue, however, raises a number of philosophical dilemmas regarding toleration in a liberal democracy, the notion of a ‘neutral’ public space in state schools and the protection of girls’ rights in traditional communities. I examine each issue accordingly and argue that the French state is unjustified in banning religious symbols.

Multicultural tensions in England, France and Canada: contrasting approaches and consequences

This article considers multicultural education policies in relation to recent political and social events in England, France and Canada. The authors start from the assumption that the promotion of multiculturalism is thought to be a beneficial aim in schools. In light of this, they contrast this aim with the large civil unrest witnessed in 2005 in England and France, along with a recent 2006 court decision in Canada regarding minority rights in schools. They contend that effective multicultural policies must be developed at both the state and local levels, otherwise multicultural education policies will remain superficial at best.

COMMUNITIES IN A CHANGING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT:  A paradox seems to exist in educational policy and practice in England and Wales. On the one hand, numerous references to promote community are made in the aims and objectives of the National Curriculum, and throughout the curricula. On the other, trends to increase accountability and standardisation through competition seem antithetical to ideals of community. I consider both the challenges and opportunities that exist for fostering community in contemporary school contexts.

The ongoing battle of the methods

Making Social Science Matter: why social inquiry fails and how it can succeed again BENT FLYVBJERG, 2001 (trans. Steven Sampson) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 204 pp., ISBN 0 521 77568 X, £13.95

School Identity in the Context of Alberta Charter Schools.

ABSTRACT The central tenet of this investigation is that educational institutions possess their own school identity. Acknowledging that school identity is influenced by institutional mechanisms and personal dynamics, we examine school identity in the context of 13 Alberta charter schools. Narratives of 73 educational stakeholders across the network of Alberta charter schools reveal a heightening of trust and authenticity as related to school identity. We propose that lessons learned from this study can inform stakeholders within other school settings. In particular, that an explicitly articulated vision of school identity may challenge the entrenched norms and practices typical of large bureaucratic organizations.

O Multiculturalismo Liberal de Kymlicka na Educação Canadense e o Contexto Brasileiro

Este artigo busca explorar as ideias de Will Kymlicka (1998; 2007; 2015) em torno de como o multiculturalismo liberal influenciou as respostas a diversidade no cenario educacional canadense e suas possiveis contribuicoes ao contexto brasileiro. Ao explorar alguns estudos de caso do Canada envolvendo escolas de heranca linguistica com financiamento publico e programas afrocentricos, os autores procuram mostrar como o multiculturalismo liberal desloca os temas de debates educacionais de um foco sobre a pratica particular de professores em sala de aula para uma reestruturacao da politica educacional para lidar com as necessidades unicas de diferentes grupos etnico-culturais na sociedade. Ao realizar conexoes com os contextos educacionais brasileiros, o texto destaca alguns dos desafios unicos de introduzir politicas inspiradas no multiculturalismo liberal no Brasil.