ABSTRACT
Teachers and schools in England are required to promote tolerance but to do this critically requires teachers to have a nuanced understanding of tolerance that distinguishes its contested moral dimension from its political dimension. Drawing on the scholarship of Forst (2013) and Brown (2006) the chapter will explore how it is both morally problematic while at the same time it demonstrates a democratic/civic function in managing unagreed aspects of life without resorting to violence or majoritarianism. As a moral value it is only at best a starting point (and arguably an inadequate one) for engagement with others posing enormous problems for teachers and schools who have to promote it. This chapter argues that tolerance is more important to understand as a democratic or civic idea rather than a moral one, and a critical understanding of this distinction is important for teachers and schools to navigate its ambiguity.
