| Summary: | In this study an effort has been made to establish the current
position of religious instruction in the Afrikaans medium secondary schools of the Transvaal.
In the modern world with its phenomenal development in every
imaginable field it is of the utmost importance that the pupil
should have the Word of God as a directing principle. The Word
of God is the only anchor to keep the faltering modern man steady.
The question arises whether religious training in our schools
succeeds in accomplishing this great task, since it is God's
command that we educate our children in the fear of God. Since
the earliest days of its settlement, the young and growing nation
on the African continent has realised that its survival is in the
hand of God Almighty, and in the school curriculum, provision has
been made for religious instruction at school.
In the Transvaal secondary school definite provision is made in
the curriculum for religious instruction at schools The Transvaal Education Department is decidedly concerned that the subject should have its due.
Certain criteria have been established in this study to which
religious instruction has to conform. The demands of the Bible,
Statute 39 of 1967, the parents, the church, the State, the
Transvaal Education Department according to the Manual of Instructions to Principals, Ordinance 29 of 1953, the psychological pedagogical aspects, the modern child and the demands made on the modern educator are discussed.
Two questionnaires were circulated to determine the current position of religious instruction. Questionnaire I was directed
to the teachers of religious instruction in twenty Afrikaans medium secondary schools that were selected for this study. These
schools represent both urban and country schools. The questionnaires to these teachers covered a wide field. Among other things,
inquiries were made after the religious instructor's qualifications in the subject, his method of presentation, his views on
the syllabuses, the nature of the subject, ways of testing and
discipline in the class. The religious attitude of the pupils
and also the teaching aids used in religious instruction classes were investigated.
The response to the questionnaires submitted to the teachers of
the subject, religious instruction, yielded much to gladden the
heart. However, certain deficiencies that still have to be
rectified were also revealed.
Questionnaire II was submitted to the pupils of the same twenty
secondary schools. Twenty pupils per standerd, i.e., for standerd six to standerd ten, were asked to complete this questionnaire. The questions to the pupils covered the following aspects: pupil's opinions regarding the subject, the attitude of
their fellow -pupils towards the subject, questions about religious denomination, Bible reading and family devotions. Pupils
answered these questions frankly and honestly. In Chapter 4
the findings of the investigation are evaluated. In Chapter 5
recommendations are made to rectify certain weaknesses exposed
in the previous chapter.
On the whole, one can conclude that religious instruction at
school enjoys the serious attention of all people concerned with
it and that pupils in the main adopt a positive attitude towards
Bible instruction. Should the various shortcomings receive the
attention suggested, the Education Department and the legislators,
the parents and the pupils, the church and the nation ought to feel
at ease with regard to the position of religious instruction in the
Afrikaans medium secondary schools of the Transvaal. === Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO
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