Interreligious Education with Young Children: A Neglected Factor of Integration

Abstract

Most often, migration and integration are discussed in terms of social and political aspects, while the religious dimensions involved are given much less attention. This is even truer concerning early childhood education although it may be safely assumed that, just like in other respects, experiences during early childhood are of great influence in later life as well, for example, laying the ground for prejudice and mutual exclusion but also for acceptance and inclusion. Against this background, this chapter raises the dual question of how young children view religious differences and of how institutions of early childhood education are prepared for accompanying children in this respect. These topics are addressed on the basis of a number of empirical and theoretical research projects carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Tübingen (Germany). The results presented refer to both the children and the teachers. Particular emphasis is given to the special ways in which children deal with religious differences, concerning, for example, their awareness of such differences, the ways that they make sense of them and their reactions to them. Concerning the teachers, respective results refer to the role of interreligious topics in their training, which is considered decisive for the interreligious competence needed for successful elementary education in the context of migration and integration.