Friday, February 25, 2011

Egyptian Extremism and Curricula (Jeff, Topic Eight)

Amro Hassan
Egypt: School Curricula Inciting Extremism to be Changed (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/04/egypt-ministry-to-modify-school-curriculums-inciting-extremism.html)
L.A. Times
April 27, 2010

Summary: Note that this article is from a year ago. Egypt's education minister has proposed changes to the curricula that would promote peace and understanding between Egypt's Christian and Muslim populations. Previously, some Muslim educators have sought to encourage confrontations between the groups.

Intended Audience: General Public

Key Points: 1) Religious courses are required in Egypt, both Christian and Muslim depending on beliefs; 2) The education minister wants to alter the curricula to encourage cooperation and understanding between groups (we saw some of this cooperation during the recent revolution).

Relevance: Education shapes society. The decisions that are made regarding what to teach and how to teach it has real life implications in society. This is an example of not so much changing what is taught (religious studies will still be taught), but how it is taught. I continue to ask myself about the political implications of what and how we teach in the United States--specifically in relation to my discipline (history, social studies).

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