The question posed here depends entirely on one’s definition of “spiritual teaching.”  If one takes spiritual teaching to mean the teaching of religion and religious beliefs (particularly one religion and its beliefs over other religions and beliefs) then no, I do not believe that it belongs in our teaching (unless one is teaching at an independent, religious school).  British Columbia’s public school system is fully secular and the BC School Act states that “all public schools must be secular and that no particular religion should be taught in them” (BC CLA, Rights Talk, 2013, pg. 19).  However, if one takes spiritual teaching to mean the teaching of holistic values and a concern for the whole child (body, mind and spirit) then yes, I do believe that spiritual teaching belongs in our teaching.

Jennifer Katz (2018) argues that “spiritual education embodies a holistic vision of children and youth—a belief that schools need to consider the heart, mind, body, and spirit” and that “soulful education is about self-actualization—discovering who we are, where our passions lie, and what gives our lives meaning and purpose” (pg. 13).  My experience with my own children has shown me that we must attend to the whole child—what affects their hearts, affects their minds (and vice versa); what affects their bodies, affects both their hearts and their minds (and vice versa); and, ultimately, what affects their spirits (the light inside that shines so bright in infancy, but fades with exposure to repeated negativity or trauma), affects their hearts, minds and bodies (and vice versa).  As a teacher teaching on call, I have had the opportunity to work with youth in kindergarten up to grade 12, and I have seen firsthand how critical this holistic vision is and how important it is that schools and teachers embrace it—without such education, we fail our children, which in turn fails our collective future!

Katz touches upon care ethics and social and emotional learning (SEL), which she agrees are beneficial and gaining momentum in twenty-first century classrooms, but argues that (although related) spiritual education is distinguished from both: “spiritual education places a larger focus on an existential perspective; that is, it goes beyond human relations to relations with all living things and the planet, with a purposeful or meaning-filled life, and with the conflict within, over a present reality and our ability to affect that reality (pg. 18).  In our current global state (the pandemic, global warming, over-consumption, excessive waste, unrest between peoples and cultures, staggering rates of mental illness, and so forth), I believe that educating our youth in “spiritual education” is more important than ever.  

Adopting an indigenous perspective, one focused on the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FNESC), helps educators infuse “spirit” into their teaching.  Teachers are responsible for helping students learn but learning only occurs when the whole child (and that child’s connection to others, the community, and the world around them) is prioritized.  I believe that the whole child is best fostered in Katz’s “ensouled school”, where spiritual education is central: 

“In ensouled schools, mental, emotional, and physical health and intellectual development (including academic achievement) are all connected within the concept of spiritual education. We cannot teach students human rights, inclusivity, critical thinking, and innovation or help them become powerful agents of change if we don’t help them become literate and numerate, understand scientific concepts and discoveries, learn about human history and geography, or develop their ability to maintain their own health. For students to live a life of meaning and purpose, they need to see the complex web that is their world and find their place in it.”

Katz, 2018, pg. 20.

So, it is with this definition of “spiritual teaching” that I say: yes, spiritual teaching definitely belongs in our teaching!

References:

FNESC. (2007). “First Peoples Principles of Learning”. Uploaded from http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Katz, Jennifer. (2018). Ensouling our Schools. Portage & Main Press.

Stryker, A., Crestohl, L., Sull, M., and VanderEnde, D. (2013). “Rights Talk: Student and Civil Liberties at School.” BC Civil Liberties Association.