Across all topics on this platform, incorporating general principles is essential when teaching about religious diversity. Certain aspects should be considered and kept in mind when addressing religion, culture, and majority-minority dynamics. This page offers tips for educators on effectively teaching diversity.
Dr. Claudia Lenz discusses how to be mindful of diversity during education in the classroom.
Religious Minorities & Inclusive Citizenship Education
Inclusive citizenship education recognizes that human rights apply to all individuals, including religious minorities. It emphasizes respecting and protecting freedom of religion and belief as a fundamental right.
By highlighting the experiences and rights of religious minorities, inclusive citizenship education encourages empathy, combats exclusion, and ensures everyone can take part fully in society. It prepares learners to engage with diversity in a respectful and informed way, helping to build more just and inclusive communities where everyone belongs, regardless of their faith or belief system.
Fernand de Varennes talks best practice when it comes to minority inclusion.
Practical tips
1. Inclusive citizenship and human rights
Teaching about diversity can be closely linked to teaching about inclusive citizenship and human rights. It is important to remember that rights related to religion, culture, and language are protected as universal human rights. At the same time, collective rights must be exercised in ways that respect individual human rights. Protecting against discrimination based on gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexuality supports a balanced and inclusive approach to human rights.
2. Diversity is natural and identities are complex
Working on diversity and identity teaches students how to reflect and to be more nuanced in their perceptions of groups and individuals.
There will always be variety and diversity, both within groups and between groups.
A person’s perception of oneself can also vary, depending on the situation. Different aspects of our identity become important in different situations. It is important to be aware that the way in which minority groups are portrayed in, for example, school textbooks, may not apply to students/pupils who identify with these groups.
For instance, this video offers a perspective on diversity in the Tunisian context: Faten Mbarek on Religious diversity & Co-existence Tunisian context
3. Culture is dynamic and religions are internally diverse
It can be difficult to fully grasp the meaning behind cultural expressions. One main challenge in teaching about different cultures is the difficulty of conveying nuances. Therefore, teachers should avoid using static cultural expressions as symbols of a group’s characteristics. Oversimplifications and stereotypical portrayals may alienate minority students by assigning them traits they may not identify with.
4. Be careful about presenting individual students as representatives of an entire group
Students belonging to a group that constitutes a minority at the local or national level should be allowed to choose whether or not they want to share their identity openly with other students. It can be enrichening, and thus tempting, to ask students to share their background and culture with the class.
However, it is important to note that identity can be intimate, sensitive and personal, and teachers should therefore not readily assume that students want to open up in this way. If a student takes the initiative to present his cultural identity, the teacher should provide additional context, as the student’s story represents only one cultural perspective of that group. The diversity within the group can be emphasized through the teaching.
5. No single person represents the history or identity of a group
There are many ways to understand history, identity, and belonging. No single person can speak for an entire group. If inviting external speakers to share religious or ethnic perspectives, it is helpful to include voices from more than one organization. Teachers should also emphasize that people within the same group may hold different views about its history and meaning.
6. Interdisciplinary teaching
Integrating this topic across various subjects, rather than treating it separately, can foster deeper cultural understanding. When minorities are presented only as a distinct topic outside the national narrative, it can reinforce perceptions of them as “others,” potentially strengthening existing biases and feelings of exclusion.
Professor Claudia Lenz addresses how to challenge and avoid stereotypes through education
7. Use of Films in teaching about religious diversity
Film can be a powerful educational tool that sparks curiosity, builds empathy, encourages diverse perspectives, and helps learners engage with complex themes. To use it effectively, however, educators must navigate certain pedagogical and practical challenges. Learn more about strategies for using film in education.
