The promulgation of South African policy regarding the place of religion in public
education was delayed until 2003, after a lively debate. The National Policy on
Religion in Education effectively banned confessional, sectarian religion from public
schools, but allowed for the teaching of Religion Studies as an academic subject and
for religious observances, on condition that these were offered in a fair and
equitable manner. Given the nature of the debate around religion and education in
South Africa,1 it can be asked whether the state has served social justice through this
Policy. A discussion of human rights, social justice, morality and the role of the state
leads to the conclusion that although the state never actually mentioned the
philosophical or moral driving forces behind the Policy, it is most likely that it
applied tenets of secularism, value-plurality, pragmatic political expediency and
modus Vivendi. This was probably the best route for the state to follow considering
how, in the past, education suffered from the over-emphasis of divisive factors. Revised
policy could arguably take cognisance of how actors on the ground dealt with
this conundrum.

doi: 10.15700/saje.v31n3a543