They sit quietly at the back of the classroom, rarely joining disscussions or voicing their own thoughts. Their classmates know they see the world differently, yet when the topic turns to faith, ethics, or values, eyes turn away. All they really want is to be accepted as they are, with their own worldview.
Today, many learning spaces still have such “invisible students.” Hearing their voices and making room for diverse worldviews is one of the most pressing challenges in education and the very first step toward true inclusion.
Why ‘Worldview Literacy’?
Today’s classrooms are microcosms of our societies, spaces where global events, moral dilemmas, identity questions, and sensitive debates come to the surface. Teachers often find themselves searching for ways to handle these complex and delicate situations. Such moments reveal that worldview literacy is not just a theoretical concept, but something deeply relevant to everyday educational practice.
A student might share what gives their life meaning, whether inspired by Islam, Christianity, or another worldview, while also listening to how a classmate understands the same question differently. When schools treat such topics as “too sensitive” or avoid them altogether, students lose both their sense of belonging and the chance to understand themselves and others more deeply. Worldview literacy offers teachers and learners practical ways to explore diverse perspectives, build trust and empathy, and strengthen the sense of community within education.
Creating these kinds of inclusive environments requires more than goodwill; it calls for rethinking teacher competencies, curricula, textbooks, and even the language of instruction, so that all can reflect an awareness of diversity and sensitivity to different worldviews.
What COREnet Activities Reveal
Published in October 2025 and presented in a panel at the European Parliament, the COREnet Policy Brief addresses this question from a comprehensive and applicable perspective. Titled “Building Cohesion in Migration: Embracing Religious and Secular Perspectives in Formal and Informal Education,” the brief emphasizes that dynamic learning spaces can open meaningful pathways to inclusion when supported by appropriate pedagogical approaches, placing the concept of worldview literacy at the center. The policy brief draws on findings from numerous activities carried out over four years within the COST Action COREnet. Expert webinars, stakeholder workshops, Narrative Café and Reflective Café events, and civil society meetings held across various countries provided valuable insights into how the intersection of migration, religious diversity, and education is experienced. One of the key findings relates to teacher competencies; educators who directly encounter increasing diversity often lack sufficient support to develop the skills required for worldview literacy, diversity management, and inclusive practices.
In a lesson on identity and culture, a teacher might ask students to bring a symbol that represents their background. One student chooses the cross she wears every day; another explains how her headscarf is part of both her culture and her identity. But as the conversation begins, the teacher worries the topic might “turn religious” or spark uncomfortable debates. Wanting to keep things safe, the teacher gently redirects the class: “Let’s focus on what connects us all.” The discussion continues, yet something remains unspoken, something quietly left hanging in the air.
For those students, the message is clear: certain parts of who they are cannot be part of classroom discussions. Some aspects of their identity seem too private, too sensitive or perhaps even not considered a part of the classroom or society. Over time, this silence becomes part of the curriculum. The posters on the wall celebrate only certain holidays; textbooks highlight specific traditions; history lessons tell events from a single perspective, and learning environment begins to reflect just a single narrative.
Worldview literacy reminds us to pay attention to these moments of silence. Talking about different symbols, beliefs, and ways of belonging does not divide us, it helps us see how rich and varied human meaning-making can be. When approached with openness and care, such conversations transform classrooms into spaces where diversity is not a problem to manage but a shared source of learning and connection.
Policy Recommendations
Emphasizing that meaningful change requires collaboration among stakeholders, the policy brief offers recommendations for governments, formal and informal educational institutions, religious and worldview organizations, and media and cultural institutions. Its overarching aim is to integrate worldview literacy across the entire educational ecosystem. Key directions include involving all worldview groups in policymaking, redesigning teacher education, ensuring pluralistic perspectives in curricula, textbooks, and learning environments, and supporting inclusive and unbiased narratives in media and cultural institutions.
To ensure effective implementation, the policy brief calls for creation of collaborative spaces, participatory planning processes, and continuous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. It places particular emphasis on co-designing education policies together with the communities most affected by them.
Why Now?
Today’s education systems are facing with pressures and transformations they have never encountered at this scale before: demographic shifts, rising polarisation, superdiversity, and increasingly complex identity dynamics. Added to this are growing misinformation and heightened sensitivities surrounding religious and secular identities, both of which require educational environments to adopt new approaches in order to respond meaningfully to this delicate landscape. In this context, recognising that alternative forms of education are possible across Europe and beyond, and navigating all learning environments accordingly, is not a matter of choice but a necessity.
NB: The cover image has been generated by generative AI.
