History of Laic Education: Concepts, Policies and Practices around the World (2016-2021)

Convenors: Adelina Arredondo (Mexico), Bruno Poucet (France), Felicitas Acosta (Argentina)

The History of Laic Education SWG 2021 Annual Report is available here.
The History of Laic Education SWG 2019 Annual Report is available here.
The History of Laic Education SWG 2018 Annual Report is available here.
The History of Laic Education SWG 2017 Annual Report is available here.

Laic Education SWG Argument and Objectives

Description: National education systems’ conformation has been a result of nonlinear processes, which went together with the creation of the modern State, the development of capitalist production and the expansion of urbanization and market economy. Nation States have assumed the function to educate the citizens and sometimes built an absolute monopoly on the formal education in societies. To do so, limits between the roll of the State and the civil society had to be delimited. Secularisation and Laic education have been part of the States empowerment, although with different modalities, degrees, advances and backward movements and facing diverse adversaries. Against the conflicts that were caused for reasons of creed or religion, laic education became a principle and a desirable model to the interior of the nations and in international and transnational organizations. The objective of this SWG is to contribute to the explanation of the diversity of processes and conditions that made possible the transition from a religious to a laic education, as one of the fundamental strategies four building hegemonic power in modern States, as well as a mean for obtaining pacific coexistence and respect by the religious and cultural diversity in the world.

For additional information and to become involved: Please contact adelinaarredondo@yahoo.com, bruno.poucet@u-picardie.fr or acostafelicitas@gmail.com.