How are religious studies taught in the schools of other secular democracies? What do New Zealanders think about religious education? How do they feel about the two approaches, a broad study of the major faiths and value systems taught by professional qualified teachers, and religious instruction in a particular religion as offered now in many primary schools?

These are pertinent questions that are not yet openly discussed. But following a meeting with the Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, about religion in schools, the Religious Diversity Centre, co-chaired by Jocelyn Armstrong and Dr Jenny Te Paa Daniel, was tasked to report on these questions.

Research has been carried out on the experience of five other countries in terms of history, legislation, public discourse, what is taught and by whom. Over 650 New Zealand stakeholders have been surveyed about their attitudes to the existing situation and possible future changes. The draft report of the findings is with the Ministry and will help to frame future policy.

New Zealand is now the 15th most religiously diverse country in the world. The Religious Diversity Centre (RDC) was set up in March 2016 to foster appreciation, understanding, and deeper relationships among the many different religious and secular communities in New Zealand.

RDC’s key programmes bring people from different faith backgrounds together: in the local community with religious diversity and anti-discrimination workshops; in organisations with professional development in religious diversity; in Jewish Muslim student dialogues and Year 12 student religious diversity leadership days.

The RDC has a three-part series on Muslim-Christian relations by Professor Douglas Pratt available on YouTube, and has launched a series of virtual panel discussions entitled Becoming Better Together: Interfaith Perspectives on Current Issues.

Armstrong says that building relationships is a vital part of the RDC’s work. An annual forum brings the national religious leaders together. The four Connecting Faiths/Interfaith hui hosted early in the year by the Office of Ethnic Communities gave the RDC the opportunity to meet with Faith and Interfaith leaders throughout the country. The aim of the hui was to explore how government and others might support efforts towards greater social inclusion and religious tolerance in New Zealand. Ethnic Communities Minister Salesa’s report from the hui is due out shortly.

Jocelyn Armstrong recently received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Hubert Walter Award, in recognition of her “outstanding contribution to interfaith relations in New Zealand.” Jocelyn has welcomed the award as recognition of New Zealand’s standing in the world and the development of interfaith relationships achieved by the work of many people and groups over the past thirty years.

– from the Religious Diversity Centre Aotearoa New Zealand (www.rdc.org.nz)