In Aotearoa we don't
have religious instruction in our education system by law. This came
out of colonial fears that 'the troubles' between Irish Catholics
and English Protestants would continue within migrant communities if
one or the other was declared 'official' and made compulsory in
schools. The New Zealand education system was to be free, universal,
and secular. Radical stuff, widely applauded. There were hidden
agendas of course: unifying a diverse country on the brink of
bankruptcy, wayward poor kids causing trouble, up-skilling the work
force etc, but they are not for this discussion!
Unfortunately the English
settlers in Nelson quickly got around this: the 'Nelson Clause' sees
many state schools officially close for a short period each day for
religious (ie Christian) studies. These are not compulsory – but
peer pressure usually wins hearts and souls. Calls to close this loop
hole continue today. Jump forward several decades and the line
between The State and religion gets blurrier when many church-owned
schools are integrated into the state system and now receive full
funding. Finally, things get really confusing with the Waitangi
Tribunal's decision in the mid-80's that all Government departments
must actively promote Maori language, heritage and customs which saw
the arrival of 'spirituality.' Queue much eye-rolling by Pakeha New Zealand.
Spirituality is “one
of those subjects whose meaning everyone claims to know until they
have to define it” (Sheldrake, 1995).
Our curriculum, Te
Whariki, does not define spirituality or how a child is 'healthy in spirit' despite
it being part of the core aspiration for children. How do teachers help child
develop a spiritual aspect to their lives? Individual interpretation.
Again. Default discourses rear their ugly heads – again.
Which is why we have
teachers singing Sunday School hymns to children and the karakia said
before meals is turned into a form of Christian prayer complete with
hands clasped.
The Batchelor, Hedges
and Haigh (2011) study into teacher beliefs and practice around
spirituality found that the teachers they interviewed had a clear
understanding that there was a difference between religion and
spirituality. Maybe they got lucky because it has not been like this
in my experience.
Spirituality was found
to have two significant features that were common throughout the
world:
- The meaning of life, their place in it, connection to other people, to the land, or to a transcendent being.
- And that it is not synonymous with religion. Historically however they have been considered to be together and the focus was religious knowledge.
So linked, but clearly
separate.
The phrase that a child
be 'healthy in spirit' used in Te Whariki is not found in any related
literature outside of Te Whariki which is interesting – did they
just make it up?
Fisher (1999) defined
spiritual health as a “dynamic state of being, shown by the extent
to which people live in harmony within relationships... with self,
others, the environment and with something or some-One beyond the
human level.”
This can be expressed
as mutual respect where children can share unselfconscious and
authentic expressions of self. Rofrano (2010) argues that “ the
spiritual life of the infant emerges in relationship with a caring
adult”. In considering that relationships are the basis of a
healthy spirit, the authors found that a distinction is made between
gaining the skills for healthy social/emotional learning and
development and the deeper connections that spirituality entails.
Brilliant. And I think we do a fantastic job at nurturing deep
reciprocal relationships with the children in our care as is required
by Te Whariki.
When it comes to those
'deeper connections', it is the karakia said before meals that most
teachers get right in considering it as a critical ritual to take the concept of relationship to a deeper level. Tilly Reedy, one of the authors of Te
Whariki, writes about the confusion around karakia and the
misconception by many teachers and parents that it is about praying
to either Maori Gods or the Pakeha God. Personally it wasn't until I
was staying at a Marae on Parihaka (staunch opponents to the
Government) where they did not allow any Christian-based karakia to
be said that I realised it wasn't just about 'praying' as I knew it.
Yes, karakia can be looked at as “a form of prayer or relaxation.
It isn't aimed at any faith, belief or denomination, but focuses on
encompassing the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional attributes
within oneself. In Māori tradition, karakia plays a vital role in
upholding the values and traditions of our ancestors,” (Reweti,
2004).
According to Reedy,
karakia is a tool to “imprint within the mind and being of
the person, the ability to focus on the purpose at hand which may be
to seek help for someone, themselves, a job, or to help achieve some
goal.”
So karakia is all about
holistic relationships (self, others, land, past, present, and
future) and perfectly fits our definition for spirituality. Yet
confusion remains about its intent with responsibility for this lying
in the ongoing problem of the curriculum failing to offer clear
definitions and practice guidelines. Parents refuse to let it happen
in their centre as it is 'Christian'. Teachers refuse to say it
because it is 'pagan' etc etc...
Ongoing education? Just talk about it! There is literally nothing 'practical' out there on this topic! Bring back the PD funding!
Supporting
young to children to grow up healthy in spirit. Susan Batchelor,
Helen Hedges and Mavis Haigh. 2012; The First Years Journal.
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