Towards a National Policy on Religious Education in Zambia

Abstract

This article is largely based on a doctoral study (by the author) whose findings and recommendations have not been widely disseminated or published before. It, therefore, aims at proposing and discussing one of the key recommendations of the study, that is, the adoption and introduction of a national policy on Religious Education (RE) to govern the teaching and learning of the subject in Zambia. In proposing the national policy, the article first gives a brief history of RE in Zambia, focusing on syllabus reform and pluralisation of the subject. Thereafter, the article explains the rationale or reasons for a national policy on RE, focusing on current professional problems in the practice of the subject. Finally, the article puts forward the proposed framework and principles which should underpin both the policy on RE and the nature of RE to be offered in the country. The article ends with a conclusion which emphasises the need to put the national policy on RE in place if the subject is to develop beyond its current neo-confessional and semi-educational nature.