Meeting students’ spiritual needs in the multi faith context of Further and Higher Education

One day conference
15th January 2008
At Church House - London

Very well attended over 180 people there for the keynote addresses.

There was a good representation from the FE sector. There was opportunity in the day to discuss the topics raised and feed back plus at the end of the day a number of seminars on practical issues.

This report is on three of the main talks and given from and FE perspective.

Bill Rammell MP (Minister of state for Lifelong learning, further and Higher Education)
He began by examining how chaplaincy in hospitals, industry, prison and the armed forces are not just all well received but integral to the work whilst there has been opposition in many quarters to the provision of chaplaincy in the education sector.

He quoted John Henry Newman to support his belief that education should have a spiritual as well as academic provision.

Quoting the work done by NEAFE and FIFE (Now united under the one National Council for Faith and Belief in Further Education – fbfe) he suggested that:
1. The UK is not as secular as some would make out.
2. Young people do consider it is important for there to be space for spiritual belief in college even if they themselves do no take advantage of it.

He saw that Chaplains were important in the colleges as they were in a position to oversee issues of faith and be instrumental in keeping exploitative practices used by extremists off campus.

He also stressed that FE colleges were primarily local and so the chaplain’s focus could be a local one – building good relationships with local faith communities and thus contributing to community cohesion.

He raised the matter of how far each faith could have their needs met in the UK and was of the opinion that it was wrong to raise the expectation of 100%. He thought that increased knowledge and sensitivity would help where there was a short fall.

The DECF is not ready to implement SMD in FE colleges but is keen to keep dialogue open as to how to progress.
(Interestingly in a question about the complex issue of multi faith relationships where faiths have exclusive truth claims the minister suggested that meaningful debates could take place where people were well versed in their own sacred texts but failed to suggest how they might get to such a position.)

He spoke of guidelines in the HE sector and how to prevent segregation, intimidation and bullying.

And Right Revd Dr Kenneth Stevenson (Bishop of Portsmouth and Chair, Church of England Board of Education)
The bishop touched on questions that concern chaplains today:
1. The validation of their position by their faith communities so that they therefore have a representational role.
2. Funding – the difference between HE and FE where the latter enjoys very little funding from outside the church except in recent times for some materials and studies.
3. The rise in the number of 16 – 18 year olds in education plus the proposal compulsory training for all up to 18 years would be an added burden in an already very stretched provision.
4. The question of the rise in the interest in faith amongst young people and the difficulty for many in accessing good understanding of faith. He quoted a sermon he had heard where the preacher suggested that interfaith work progressed when participants were secure in their own faith.

In a reply to a question he also touched on the practice in society of setting up confrontation as a way to engage not being helpful in multi faith work.

Paul Head (Principal, college of North East London and Chair, London Principals Group)Paul gave a very good overview of the secular FE College wrestling with how to interact with faith. There is a growing understanding that:
faith and belief are not left at the door
values drive actions
it is possible to create a safe and supportive environment
it is part of being a citizen of a democratic society.

He outlined what he saw as the management of faith:
Creating a community
Addressing ignorance and prejudice with discovering ways to resolve conflict and hear the learner voice.
Providing space probably a prayer room
Helping staff who are opposed to promotion of faith by demonstrating that this making space and integrating spiritual care into the care that is provided by the college.

This is important because colleges are not islands and there is a need both to be of benefit and to deal with the world we live in.

He concluded that there are those who still struggle with this but we are in days when doing nothing is not an option.