Tolerance and curriculum : conception of tolerance in the multicultural unitary Norwegian compulsory school

Being tolerant is considered important by most people. Tolerance is about navigating in societies of increased differences - societies where neighbours, colleagues, groups of people, even children and spouses are of different opinions and live in a different way. Besides, the ?navigator?, or the self, is experienced as more complex and changing than ever before. The greater the differences in a society, the more pressing is the issue of tolerance. But what does, however, tolerance mean? It is an ideal most people can agree with. But the process of identifying it more precicely often leads to confusion and disagreement. This study raises the question of what tolerance means in a specific multicultural context, namely education. What does tolerance mean to teachers? And does tolerance mean the same for teachers as it is defined in national curricula and in theories of tolerance? About the author Geir Afdal is associate professor in Religion, Ethics and Education and research director at the Faculty of Education, Ostfold University College in Norway.