Law, Religious Freedoms and Education in Europe

Myriam Hunter-Henin joined the Faculty of Laws, UCL, in September 2003. She was formerly a researcher and lecturer at Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne). Her main interests are Comparative Law, Family Law, Law and Religion, Private International Law and Bioethics. Her work addresses the implications of human rights in the private sphere, especially the challenges posed to the legal theory of Conflict of Laws and to traditional concepts of family law such as marriage and motherhood. It also addresses the interaction and tensions between law and religion in the sphere of education and family law in a comparative perspective. She is currently Deputy Director for the Faculty’s various international programmes and Director of the European Double Degree Programmes. She is also a Fellow of the Comité français de droit international privé in Paris, France, and co-director of the Institute of Global law.

• Contents: Foreword, Robert Jackson; Preface, Myriam Hunter-Henin; Introduction: religious freedoms in European schools: contrasts and convergence, Myriam Hunter-Henin; Part I Key Concepts: Laïcité, Integration, Identity and Discrimination: The classroom as a tolerance lab, Lorenzo Zucca; Jewish day schools in France: mapping their Jewish identity proposals, Martine Cohen; Having faith in our schools: struggling with definitions of religion, Arif A. Jamal and Farid Panjwani; Religious discrimination and schools: the employment of teachers and the public sector duty, Lucy Vickers. Part II National Models: Religion, regionalism and education in the United Kingdom: tales from Wales, Russell Sandberg and Anna Buchanan; Religion and education in Northern Ireland: voluntary segregation reflecting historical divisions, Christopher McCrudden; The French model: tensions between laïc and religious allegiances in French state and Catholic schools, Blandine Chélini-Pont; Religious education in a religiously neutral state: the German model, Heinrich de Wall; The controversy surrounding the denominational teaching of religion in Spanish state schools, Javier García Oliva. Part III Case Studies: The Influence of Religion on Teaching Content and School Ethos: Religious education in Europe in the 21st century, Peter Cumper; Religious education and religious liberty: opt-outs and young people’s sense of belonging, Alison Mawhinney, Ulrike Niens, Norman Richardson and Yuko Chiba; History textbooks within the framework of the French laïcité, Anna Van den Kerchove; Teaching evolution, creationism, and intelligent design in US schools (with some European comparisons), Eric Barendt; Beating people is wrong: Campbell and Cosans, Williamson and their aftermath, Frank Cranmer. Part IV Case Studies: Religious Symbols at School: Bracelets, rings and veils: the accommodation of religious symbols in the uniform policies of English schools, Mark Hill; A uniform approach to religious discr

'Nowhere is the relationship between religions and the state more contested than in the field of education. Dr. Hunter-Henin has assembled an impressive collection of legal perspectives which are firmly rooted in comparative analysis and constitutional principle. At last we have a volume which does justice to the complexity of the topic.' Julian Rivers, University of Bristol, UK 'When the theories of secularisation are being questioned, these essays cast fresh light on the complex articulation between education and religion in several countries, and on the many ways to solve the tensions between the demands of individuals or communities and the norms of societies. A must read for all concerned.' Luc Borot, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, France 'This is an excellent book. Its varied studies indicate unequivocally that education is not only an issue of profound importance in relations between religions and the state but also that it is one of the most hotly debated topics in contemporary society. The scholars who have contributed to this volume provide critical yardsticks for both the place of religion in education and the types of religion and state relations in Europe and beyond.' Norman Doe, Cardiff University, UK 'While many of the essays inevitably overlap, all are thoroughly argued and together provide a wide overview of principles and case studies that may yet influence the courts in a field that is rapidly changing.' Ecclesiastical Law Journal ’This welcome addition to the current literature on law, education and religious freedoms draws together analyses from contributors with a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds... provides an impressive array of analysis and perspectives and will be of great interest to all scholars in the field of law and religion, and a necessary acquisition for anyone with a particular concern for education and religious freedom.’ International and Comparative Law Quarterly ’...brings together st