‘Teaching Values that Contradict Mine’

“I’m a Christian teacher but I’m expected to teach programmes, values and topics opposed to my personal faith. How do I handle this?”

Rev. Steve Younger provides some answers to this relevant issue for teachers in schools, in this blog written in November 2017.

“Everything can be taken from a man (sic) but one thing; the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” (Frankl, Victor E. 1992 Edn. Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy, Beacon Press). You may not be able to change your situation but you can choose how you react to it. To help you choose, you need to remember a few things. (You may not want to hear the first two but bear with me and feel free to disagree and to debate with me.)

Professionalism not petulance

Firstly, remember that you are under contract to deliver a curriculum. That’s a simple fact. So choose to react with professionalism, not petulance. Keep in mind that it’s your job to deliver the curriculum and that you are paid to teach not to proselytise. Your capacity to ‘opt out’ of teaching selected parts is highly limited and any attempt to do so is likely to be confrontational and counter-productive. So think very carefully before voicing an objection. There is a matter of inches between digging yourself a trench and a hole, or even a grave. Secondly, choose to react unemotionally and dispassionately.

Curriculum for Excellence and the many complementary programmes are not spawned from a satanic agenda. Neither is the whole curriculum anti-Christian, or aimed at you and your values personally, or at your faith specifically. Don’t take it personally that something opposes your most cherished values. Remember that you are in no different a position to any other teacher asked to teach something that contradicts their personal beliefs, values, faith or philosophy. So Keep Calm and Teach On.

Committed Impartiality

Consider instead a more positive approach. Here’s a recommendation for your CLPL reading: Kelly, Thomas E. 1986 Discussing Controversial Issues: Four Perspectives on the Teacher’s Role Theory and Research in Social Education XIV(2):113-138. Kelly offers the perspective of “committed impartiality”:

“First, teachers should state rather than conceal their own views on controversial issues. Second, they should foster the pursuit of truth by insuring that competing perspectives receive a fair hearing through critical discourse.” (Kelly 1986:130)

“Committed impartiality” requires that you declare your own faith position but consciously undertake not to persuade or to proselytise. However, “committed impartiality” also allows you to teach the curriculum while being open about your personal faith/belief/value stance. So teach the curricular module or programme you object to but offer a critique from your own personal beliefs and values – “As a Christian, I believe that…” – and teach your pupils critical thinking skills. Respect that they may not choose to accept your critique.

Compassionate Impartiality

Alongside “committed impartiality”, I suggest you think in terms of a “compassionate impartiality” too. Curriculum for Excellence is built on the same four values that are inscribed in gold on the Mace in the Scottish Parliament: Wisdom, Justice, Integrity and Compassion. It was the silversmith, Michael Lloyd, who made the Mace, who chose the values that were inscribed on it. He felt they were “in the air to be collected and celebrated” and in interviews he expressed surprise that they were simply accepted (Neil McLennan, ‘The Herald’ 7th Dec., 2016). However they arose and however they fed into CfE[1], ‘compassion’ in particular surely complements a Christian faith-stance. Is your ‘difficult’ issue the LGBTI agenda? Christian compassion should look less at gender and more at the fact that everyone has a unique and precious soul and should be respected and accepted as human (do you really think a soul has ‘gender’?) Is your ‘difficult’ issue a perceived secularist/humanist bias? Christian compassion is rooted in a gentle and grace-filled John 3:16 and Luke 19:10 approach to everyone (do you really think those who don’t share your values 100% are your ‘enemy’?).

Courageous Impartiality

Perhaps also, despite my opening paragraph, I can encourage you to a ‘courageous impartiality’? Michael Lloyd, the Mace silversmith, originally chose five values but for aesthetic and practical reasons only inscribed four. His fifth value? Courage. Remember that there are good educational grounds for an impartial exploration of beliefs and values. It is part of capacity-building: creating confident individuals with “secure values and beliefs” able to “develop and communicate their own beliefs and view of the world” and responsible citizens able to “understand different beliefs and cultures…[and] develop informed, ethical views of complex issues” and effective contributors with “resilience, self-reliance,” able to “apply critical thinking in new contexts.” Have the courage to express your faith, your personality and your values. Have the courage to believe ‘Faith’ stands equal with Wisdom Justice, Integrity and Compassion. Be robust in those staffroom debates with colleagues. Actively promote quality ‘Time for Reflection’ (or ‘Religious Observance’) in your school. Stick your head above the parapet and support or start a Scripture Union group.

[1] How they were adopted for Curriculum for Excellence is fascinating – and really encouraging. For the inside story see https://www.cve-scotland.org.uk/teachers/permissions-boundaries/what-s-so-good-about-curriculum-for-excellence.html