“Day of the One Hundred Thousand”: that’s the name of the event being promoted by students, teachers, parents and the Catholic and Evangelic Churches in Berlin on 2 June. Its aim is to press for the maintenance of religious education in schools. Over 100,000 students are in fact enrolled in religious education classes at school, but these now risk being eliminated in their current form as a result of the cost-cutting measures decided by the Senate in Berlin. The programme for the Day has comprised lessons in RE open to the public, and the presentation of projects aimed at raising the awareness of public opinion about the importance of religious education in schools. “The organizers and supporters of the event wish to emphasise that religious education in schools guarantees an important aspect of education, indispensable for the next generations in an enlarged Europe as point of reference between different religions and cultures”, says a press release. Evangelic bishop Wolfgang Huber, chairman of the Council of the German Evangelic Church, and Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky, archbishop of Berlin, have also partecipated in the Day. Together they will inaugurate the programme of events in the afternoon, and take part in various initiatives. Later they will join together for a common prayer in the Marienkirche, the oldest parish in Berlin. A website has also been dedicated to the event: it contains information about all the events planned for the Day.
