Kate Adams

The rise of the child's voice; the silencing of the spiritual voice

In recent years the notion of the childs voice has gained prominence, particularly influenced by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989 which outlined rights for children on an international scale. Many countries, including the UK, subsequently legislated for the childs voice to be heard in a variety of arenas including the education system. Despite the concept of the childs voice now being firmly established within schools in England, this paper argues that one aspect of their voice is not being heard: their spiritual voice. Drawing on evidence from research, this paper proposes that a variety of factors have culminated in a tendency towards a silencing of the childs spiritual voice. It argues that this silencing is an important one which should be acknowledged and rectified if educators in all schools are to treat the concept of the whole child seriously, and fully value their well‐being.

God Talks to Me in My Dreams: The occurrence and significance of children's dreams about God

This paper is a summary of research into 9-11 year olds dreams about God. It is a qualitative study of three schools. The research shows that dreaming about God is not uncommon amongst this age group, and is not restricted to believers. The divine dreams are often quite different in essence to ordinary dreams and play a significant role in the spiritual and/or religious lives of the dreamer. A fear of ridicule from peers, and of dismissal from adults in many cases forces the child to keep their dreams and other spiritual experiences within, but a need to share was evident. The number of boys reporting divine dreams was significantly lower compared to girls indicating a possible gender issue which teachers need to be aware of. The subject provides a powerful key to unlock the door to childrens expression of their inner world.

Childhood in crisis? Perceptions of 7–11-year-olds on being a child and the implications for education's well-being agenda

Notions of a good childhood are inextricably linked with well-being. Both concepts are central to a contentious debate about the quality of childhood in the UK, which is partly situated within the ‘childhood in crisis’ discourse which opponents claim is overstated. This study contributes to the debate by hearing thevoices of children as co-constructors of their own childhood. Perceptions of childhood were collected through semi-structured group interviews with 56 children aged 7–11 in a school in an economically deprived town in east England.Children spontaneously identified childhood in a positive way. Further questioning was required to explore the negative aspects. Childhood was mostly considered preferable to adulthood which was deemed tedious and stressful although children also identified advantages to being older. Implications for primary schools’ well-being agenda, and the place of the school in shaping childhood, are discussed.

The dreaming child: dreams, religion and religious education

Dreaming is an integral part of human life. Whilst psychology has generated extensive knowledge and understanding about dreams, it was in religious contexts that they were originally understood. This relationship between dreams and religion is still evident in contemporary society in the scriptures of the Abrahamic faiths, which narrate dreams which God/Allah sent to convey messages to the dreamers. This article argues that discussion about dreams in Religious Education (RE) can be a valuable way of addressing aspects of both learning about religion and learning from religion. Previous arguments for the discussion of dreams in RE have justified the claims based on the relevance of dreaming to children, that is because all children dream, they can relate to the topic. This article draws on recent empirical research which shows that some children report dreams in which God appeared, and dreams which they believe God/Allah sent to extend that argument. The fact that some children experience these ‘divine dreams’ adds relevance and poignancy to a topic on dreams in RE. Teachers can, through sensitive management, lead discussions about dreams in such a way that not only fulfils syllabi’s criteria but does so in a meaningful way. The difficulties and perceived difficulties of such discussions are outlined in more depth than has previously been done. The article concludes that the topic is a valuable one for the RE classroom.

What is a child? Children’s perceptions, the Cambridge Primary Review and implications for education

Debate about the definition of a ‘child’ occurs in multi-disciplinary contexts, most recently located in the new sociology of childhood where social constructionism is the dominant discourse. Given that the child’s voice has become an increasingly valued component of research, this paper reports on one aspect of a study which explored how 7–11-year-olds (N = 56) defined and understood the concept of ‘a child’. Data were categorised into four types: physical, behavioural, lifestyle and criteria-referenced descriptors. Dominant theoretical elements such as agency, social construction, relational understanding and notions of themselves as beings were evident in the children’s responses. However, the importance of the biological and developmental bases of childhood and their sense of becoming adults were stronger than is sometimes acknowledged in the literature. The implications for education of these two digressions from contemporary theoretical discourse are considered in light of the Cambridge Primary Review which calls for a reshaping of primary education and initial teacher training in England to include childhood as a central concept.

Losing Control: The effects of educational restructuring on waking and dream life

This paper focuses on the restructuring of the educational system in England over the last 14 years. It proposes that frequent changes to the system have resulted in negative emotions for many teachers which in turn have implications for the childrens well-being. One of the negative feelings reported by teachers in subjective studies of their working experiences is a loss of control of the content and methodology of their work. This feeling re-emerges in school-related anxiety dreams, the content of which was studied in a sample of 10 teachers and four headteachers. The article raises issues for managers, suggesting that they need to ensure that the spiritual and emotional lives of the teachers are safeguarded in order to protect those of the children.

Losing the whole child? A national survey of primary education training provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

International concerns about the performativity agenda in schools gives rise to concerns about the neglect of a holistic approach to teaching and learning. Whilst schools in England and Wales are legally obliged to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of children, little is known about how initial teacher training providers prepare trainees to do so. This project aims to address this gap in the literature. This paper details the findings of phase one of a National Survey which investigates trainers’ approaches to delivery and their views on the place of SMSC in primary schools. Findings suggest that trainers value SMSC, but time devoted to it is relatively low and policy changes are perceived to threaten SMSC’s security. The paper argues that it is vital that trainers empower trainees to understand the importance of holistic themes of their respective curricula, informed by critical engagement with theory, in order to avoid them being overshadowed by the performativity discourse.

Early childhood spirituality in education: towards an understanding of the distinctive features of young children's spirituality

Early years education is a holistic endeavour, with some education policies including spiritual development as part of that approach. However, studies exploring the spirituality of young children are scarce, which limits understanding of the phenomenon and its full application in educational settings. Furthermore, nurturing childrens spiritual development is a complex matter, compounded by a variety of factors, not least a lack of clarity over what spirituality is. This article initiates a discussion about the possible distinctive features of young childrens spirituality. It does so by addressing inherent difficulties in attempting to define spirituality before subsequently reviewing how it is conceptualised in the broader literature, and then in the literature on young children. Implications for policy and practice are considered, arguing that there is a need for more clarity in framing how young childrens spirituality may be understood, which needs to be founded on a wider evidence base than currently exists.

Seeking the Spiritual: The Complexities of Spiritual Development in the Classroom

This chapter explores the role of spiritual development in primary schools in the UK context, focussing on the hidden nature of children’s spirituality and how teachers can provide children with opportunities within the curriculum to share and explore their spirituality. An emphasis is placed on describing the range of spiritual experiences which children have. These are often hidden from adults as society’s taboos, and adult disinterest can discourage children from revealing their spirituality. This chapter encourages teachers to become more aware of children’s spiritual experiences and to incorporate them into the curriculum. In doing so, children’s wellbeing, and in turn their learning, can be enhanced.

Towards an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and nurturing spirituality and the whole child

The summer of 2016 saw 75 delegates from 15 countries converge at Bishop Grosseteste University, in the Roman city of Lincoln, UK for the 15th conference of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality (IACS). The four-day event was titled Spirituality and the Whole Child: Interdisciplinary Approaches and reflected the concerns of many in different countries about systems which seem to be negating the importance of the whole child in general, and their spirituality in particular. This situation appears to be particularly prevalent in societies which have seen increasing levels of performance management, with its culture of targets and accountability, in arenas which support children (Adams 2014). Furthermore, in societies which have become individualistic and materialistic, the spiritual dimension of childhood is simultaneously being undermined, particularly evident in education systems in the UK, Australia and the USA (Hyde, Watson, and Yust 2016). Arguably, these negative trends are occurring at a time when we most need to value spirituality, given the rises in young people’s mental ill-health and obesity which are being reported in many economically advanced countries. The conference was a means of bringing together academics, research students and practitioners from various disciplines and professions who engage in nurturing children. A key aim in doing so was to explore how spirituality is conceived in and across cultures, and how more connections between different disciplines can be made to advance understanding in academia and professional practice. This conference’s focus on interdisciplinary approaches was important in order to help break down the silos which are endemic in many areas of academia. The notion of silos was identified decades ago by Snow ([1959] 2012) and remains a concern to the present day (Roser and Merson 2009); but in addition, there is also apprehension about the apparent disconnect that often occurs between academics and practitioners. Hence, if we seek to prioritise the whole child, then we need to do so with a holistic approach, by bringing adults together from their diverse backgrounds so that they can work collaboratively. The use of the phrase ‘interdisciplinary approaches’ recognises that children’s spirituality is not a discipline, but a field, albeit one which draws on a wide range of disciplines and fields. The underpinning proposition for the conference was to bring the knowledge, skills, concepts and methodologies from our own respective backgrounds together to learn from each other, with the shared aim of enhancing academic and professional knowledge for the benefit of children. The papers in this volume reflect key themes which emerged from the call for conference submissions. Within that broader remit, those appearing in this issue fall into two broad categories. The first set focuses on theoretical considerations and the second details empirical studies on different topics related to children’s experience, which also cover various age groups and geographical settings. As with any academic subject, one of the most fundamental issues is that of definition of terms and the first two papers address the ongoing debates about what spirituality is, approached from different perspectives. The first is by Jacqueline Watson who gave one of our keynote speeches. Watson argues that an interdisciplinary approach can only be successful if we have a shared consensus over the meaning of spirituality. The lack of consensus has, of course, been a long