The Impact of the Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation on Religious Education: Perceptions of Stakeholders

Abstract

The impact of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation on Religious Education (R.E.) can be looked at in terms of content, strategies and learners. In terms of content, some sections of society may consider R.E. as a means to overtly promote Christian beliefs, practices and ideologies. However, in Zambia schools comprise learners who are religiously heterogeneous. Furthermore, the 1996 National Educational Policy espouses liberal democratic values such as autonomy, liberty and fairness. The objectives of the study were to: establish the views of stakeholders on the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation and Religious Education; examine the impact which the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation had on R.E. While most stakeholders argued that R.E. should become more inclusive, others asserted that due to the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, RE should be exclusive to Christianity. This trend, defeats the educational aim of R.E. which is, the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. The dominance of a single religion in R.E. risks limiting awareness of religious diversity and deprives learners a genuine space for dialogue with other religions. It was in this regard that the study investigated the perceptions of senior secondary school R.E. teachers, learners and religious leaders on the impact of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation on R.E. The study employed the qualitative approach with interview and focus group discussion as methods of eliciting date from the respondents