Browsing by Author "Francis, Michael David"

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    The views of students in Teachers' Colleges in Tanzania on the teaching of religion in schools.
    (University of East Africa, 1968) Francis, Michael David
    The survey reported here was first conceived as part of the effort to improve religious teaching in educational institutions in Tanzania by Voluntary Agencies engaged in education. The existing problems in the teaching of religion are analysed into five main headings … justification and reasons for giving the teaching, content of the lessons, and the problems of instructors, finance and status… and a questionnaire was constructed to determine the views of some students in Teachers’ Colleges about them. A 20 percent sample was chosen from the entire student population of the senior Teachers’ Colleges in the country, and the students were requested to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with each of 125 statements about the teaching of region in schools. A set of hypotheses was suggested as a basis for the interpretation of the results. Contrary to expectations, the students showed a great interest in, and concern for, the teaching of religion in schools. They regarded the lessons from an educational rather than a narrowly religious point of view and consequently emphasized modern methods of teaching, a broader syllabus and a more open ended approach. The responses of the students were also analysed according to sex, year in college and religious affiliation. Men were found to be more interested than women in the academic side of religious instruction and second year students were shown to have a more understanding and sympathetic approach than first year students. Muslims tended to disagree with Christians on anything specific to Christianity and to generally rank the subject to Christianity lowest as a school activity. Protestants and Catholics were generally found to be basically in agreement, but Catholics tended to be the more extreme and dogmatic in their views and Protestants more tolerant. The survey revealed, therefore, that despite the adverse conditions in the schools, students still considered religious instruction, a necessary and legitimate part of a child’s school experience and had a deep concern for improving the teaching. This study arose out of efforts by the Protestant Churches in Tanzania to improve the teaching of religion in schools.