Perspectives of Headmasters on School Services and Multi-religious School Celebrations

Even in federal states with a strong tradition of school worship, such as Bavaria, the question arises as to whether school worship services are still up-to-date in view of increasing religious and ideological plurality or whether they should be developed further in the direction of alternative forms of celebration. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study in which perspectives of school parents on school services and alternative forms of religious school life were surveyed. It becomes clear that headmasters combine religious school services with the goal of promoting the school community; this is a challenge in that religious services can develop great integrative power, but at the same time usually exclude individuals.

empirical study, headmaster, school service, multi-religious celebration, plurality