Of late, the issue on whether or not religious schools hinder the attempt to a cohesive society has been greatly debated. With calls by ethnic minority groups to increase the number of religious schools for the purpose of instilling religious beliefs, customs and values, it does not seem to facilitate in the process of creating a cohesive society. Having said that, religious schools, more often that not, offer an education which is not very compatible with society; they also create social ills since it promotes extremism and fosters racial intolerance. In addition, as society is segregated by various religions, governments will face a great difficulty, if not a challenge, in determining the will of this increasingly fragmented society. As such, the emphasis of this essay is to explore the reasons why religious schools do not create a cohesive society.
Religious schools provide an education system which is highly incompatible with that of society. Take Muslim schools, where female students are required to cover their faces with a veil. While the rationale behind this is indisputable, it is believed by Muslims that it is to protect the honour of the females. Unfortunately, such a practice is perceived as obscure, if not anachronistic, in modern and democratic societies. In countries like the United Kingdom, where it is striving hard to combat terrorism, the use of a veil to cover up one's identity is seen as obtrusive, suspicious and poses a social division from the non-Muslims, thus, hindering the attempt to create a cohesive society.
Religious schools are also the main cause of social ills in a society. Take the United Kingdom, where anti-Semitic acts have sharply increased over the recent years. The motivation behind these acts is believed to be precipitated by Islamic education. As Muslims believe that Jews are 'sinners' for establishing the State of Israel, they feel that Jews should be persecuted for occupying holy Muslim land. This is documented in the Koran which is also taught in all Islamic schools. Furthermore, another infamous product of religious schools is terrorism; the bombings that took place in New York, London and Madrid is believed to be the work of Muslim extremists, rigorously 'brainwashed' by Islamic fundamentalists. Again, such evidence goes to show that religious schools create social ills and cannot be seen as attempt to create a cohesive society.
The increase in religious fragmentation has made it difficult, if not challenging, for governments to gauge national consensus. This in turn poses adversities for governments to implement policies which may be racially and/or religiously sensitive. For instance, suppose the government decided to impose a ban on the use of veils in an attempt to curb terrorism and promote transparency. This policy will incur the wrath of countless Muslim groups and inevitably demand that this law be repealed. While the majority supports the banning of veils, it certainly cannot be justified at the expense of the minorities' rights. As such, this will cause social disunity as different factions of society, especially minority groups are repressed and feel that the government is not representing or protecting their interests.
By way of conclusion, religious schools do not attempt to build a cohesive society as it educates its believers with customs, values and standards which are not at all compatible with society. In addition, they create social ills as they promote extremism and foster intolerance. To boot, they make it difficult for any government to effectively implement policies since society is segregated by religion.
Religious schools provide an education system which is highly incompatible with that of society. Take Muslim schools, where female students are required to cover their faces with a veil. While the rationale behind this is indisputable, it is believed by Muslims that it is to protect the honour of the females. Unfortunately, such a practice is perceived as obscure, if not anachronistic, in modern and democratic societies. In countries like the United Kingdom, where it is striving hard to combat terrorism, the use of a veil to cover up one's identity is seen as obtrusive, suspicious and poses a social division from the non-Muslims, thus, hindering the attempt to create a cohesive society.
Religious schools are also the main cause of social ills in a society. Take the United Kingdom, where anti-Semitic acts have sharply increased over the recent years. The motivation behind these acts is believed to be precipitated by Islamic education. As Muslims believe that Jews are 'sinners' for establishing the State of Israel, they feel that Jews should be persecuted for occupying holy Muslim land. This is documented in the Koran which is also taught in all Islamic schools. Furthermore, another infamous product of religious schools is terrorism; the bombings that took place in New York, London and Madrid is believed to be the work of Muslim extremists, rigorously 'brainwashed' by Islamic fundamentalists. Again, such evidence goes to show that religious schools create social ills and cannot be seen as attempt to create a cohesive society.
The increase in religious fragmentation has made it difficult, if not challenging, for governments to gauge national consensus. This in turn poses adversities for governments to implement policies which may be racially and/or religiously sensitive. For instance, suppose the government decided to impose a ban on the use of veils in an attempt to curb terrorism and promote transparency. This policy will incur the wrath of countless Muslim groups and inevitably demand that this law be repealed. While the majority supports the banning of veils, it certainly cannot be justified at the expense of the minorities' rights. As such, this will cause social disunity as different factions of society, especially minority groups are repressed and feel that the government is not representing or protecting their interests.
By way of conclusion, religious schools do not attempt to build a cohesive society as it educates its believers with customs, values and standards which are not at all compatible with society. In addition, they create social ills as they promote extremism and foster intolerance. To boot, they make it difficult for any government to effectively implement policies since society is segregated by religion.
