Advent as intervention: Towards inclusive education in christian schools

In the Netherlands, especially in the urban context, diversity within Christian schools can be rather substantial. In this article the focus is on religious diversity, including secular worldviews as well. The question is how schools can relate to their Christian background and be open to pupils and teachers from other (religious) traditions at the same time. A secondary school, which expressed the wish to enlarge an inclusive perspective on diversity in the classroom, school and neighbourhood, served as a pilot. In supporting the school in this process, we carried out educational design research (EDR). EDR combines theoretical insights and practical solutions in real world context together with stakeholders. Theoretical insights of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on building an inclusive society were used to develop an inclusive perspective on society-building. On the basis of Sacks’ perspective on society-building, the SOLVE-model is developed in order to design an intervention: an educational product of an inclusive Advent season.