The Role of Religion in Contemporary Education

Both classical philosophy and contemporary research suggest education should provide young people with opportunities to develop themselves in a well-balanced manner: Academic and intellectual advancement should take place in the context of spiritual and moral growth. This, however, is not happening in the national education system of any nation today. On the contrary, with the advancement of modern science and technology, materialism and consumerism are on the rise, and spirituality and character development have taken a back seat. Adult society is obsessed with the acquisition of things, rather than with questions of personal integrity and morality, and young people are taking their cues from the example of their elders. For the large majority of humanity religion is compelling motive for leading a moral life. The precepts of all world religions have profound ethical implications. When people come in contact with the thought of great religious leaders and thinkers, their lives may be profoundly affected. Religion also plays a vital role in almost all dimensions of human life. In an increasingly globalized world, people with inevitable be confronted with others of different cultural, ethnic and of religious backgrounds. Being religiously literate is an essential prerequisite for participation in the international dialogue. Thus, there are compelling internal, spiritual and external, cultural reasons why religious education is important. Consequently, the teaching of religion at secondary and tertiary educational institutions should be a priority. It is of particular importance to consider these realities in the context of contemporary Korean education. In secondary school, Korean students are supposed to absorb ethical lessons in their dodeok classes. However, since the parameters of modern Korean society have notably shifted, there is a significant shortfall in the ethical development of Korean young people. This manifests itself in all manner of irresponsible and immoral practices in the lives of those of the younger generation. At Cheongshim International Academy, we are attempting to test the boundaries of what the establishment of a religious education program can mean for the development of Korean young people. The preliminary results of this enterprise seem to be promising.