Book Review: Schools and Religions: Imagining the Real, Julian Stern, 2007

This book potentially addresses a real need for schools to come to terms with on a general level – that of encouraging open dialogue both in school and with the community, and treating pupils with respect. Education generally have to come to terms with the religious values of pupils and parents, and have the confidence to know how to scaffold learning based on these values. This interest in ethos and school climate is of great interest to CPD. This book is however not the ideal text for this: its style is not accessible; in another book the author disrespectfully calls pupils “buggers”. It is too focused on the world of religious education, which will confine its readership. However, I hope we do not because of these weaknesses lose sight of the central positive message.