Michael Hand has recently challenged certain religious organisations that run Academies in the United Kingdom to devise and pursue their own faith-based curricula in their schools. In this short article I examine some of the problems Hand's challenge might encounter, including whether religious conceptions of worthwhile activities and of…

In this symposium Michael Hand presents a rejoinder to criticisms of his 'Religious Upbringing Reconsidered' (Journal of Philosophy of Education, 36.4) by Jim Mackenzie, Peter Gardner and Charlene Tan. Defending the idea of the logical possibility of non-indoctrinatory religious upbringing, he attempts to show that none of their various objections…

Michael Hand's recent paper, 'Religious Upbringing Reconsidered', re-opens a debate that was flourishing over a decade ago in this journal and, long before that, in the works of others. In this response I examine Hand's claims that earlier contributions to the debate passed over the central problem and that he can solve that problem. I endeavour…

Support is growing for the thesis that, since freedom is valuable, compulsory education needs justifying. Proposals by consent theorists involving prior, subsequent, and hypothetical consent are examined. These theories make no substantive contribution to solving the problem of justifying education. (SR)

Examines issues and problems related to moral education which have been raised and discussed by R.S. Peters. His essay, "Reason and Habit: The Paradox of Moral Education," suggests that if Peters and others who write on moral education would specify the particular paradox/difficulty they have in mind, scholars and educators would have a better…

Examines various strands of philosophical opposition to contemporary religious education programs which are based more on religious elucidation than advocacy. Concludes that those religious education programs are best which help students assess and evaluate various religions and make informed religious choices for themselves. (DB)