Case Studies

Name of the teacher

Brigitte Rosoux

Email:

Country:

Belgium

Subject taught:

History, religion

Years of experience:

30

Name of the School:

Centre Scolaire Saint-Benoit Saint-Servais

School Typology:

Upper Secondary School

Country:

Belgium

City:

Liège

Web site:

Background and Context:

The school is located in Rue Saint-Gilles in Liège, a declining neighbourhood, near the city centre and surrounded by several secondary and schools and colleges. The school includes 1800 students spread on three locations in the secondary section. The number of immigrant is higher in lower secondary school: half-half. In upper secondary school, it depends on the classes and on the definition of “immigrant”: from two or three to one third or one half.

Factual Description:

In the sixth year history class, when Islam is addressed, it is through the Islamic Revolution, the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Thus a very negative version of slam….to the dismay of the Muslim students in the class!
Moreover barbecues are proposed to sixth year students, with pork and beef sausages!
So we had to find a way so that Muslims who had chosen a Catholic school could find respect and understanding.
First of all, we changed the barbecue offer, adding what Muslim students wanted, chicken sausages. Some were happy but others didn’t want them … were they halal? Well, no, and it was getting complicated said the management. Difficult … but to improve together!
My religion course is organised in different modules, including one dedicated to interreligious dialogue, Christians, Muslims, Jews.

Activities carried out:

- Action about food; finding a way to satisfy Muslim students in a collective activity.
- Meeting with three delegates of Monotheist religions organised by external experts on the three religions who come to explain their religion and the common traits, connections, similarities between them.
- Collaboration of Muslim students who want to explain their religion by themselves.
- Follow-up on what they want in collective meals => involvement of all.
- Teacher training: special day organised by religion teachers from Jesuit schools in Erpent on the 30/1 “interreligious dialogue”, with the perspective of Dennis Gira, Christian theologian, specialist of dialogue with Buddhism.
- Help from Sister Gaétane, Benedictine sister, bishop’s responsible person for religious dialogue
- Approach to the Arabic culture, cultural activities: films, books,…for example,
Discovery of their culture through writers such as Ben Jelloun, Maalouf, philosophers like A. Bidar…

Assessment and lesson learnt:

More respect from “Christian” students, who see a larger commitment in than what they do themselves.
Discovery of a religion that is caricatured and twisted in the media.

Satisfaction of Muslim students, who see a recognition of both their – religious and cultural -identity.
An increasing number of Muslim parents enrol their children at Saint-Servais, a Catholic school.
Less frustration and more respect and serenity. Personally, I have a lot faith in it and I find it very positive.
Beyond my class, I will try to organise it for the whole level.
It is easily transferable; there are many educational tools, committed authors and philosophers and very good films.
Some studies and reflections are easier because my students are 17, 18.

Description of the Case Study in National Language: