Religious education in schools” “

The situation of religious education (RE) in Europe is extremely varied: in some countries it is a consolidated reality, in others – as in the countries of Eastern Europe – it is still in a phase of development. The main “innovations” in the field were discussed by the Flavio Pajer, president of the european Forum for religious education in state schools, in a recent study published in “Il Regno”, the fortnightly Italian review of current affairs. Here the most significant. Belgium Religious teaching at school (2 hours per week, chosen by students and parents from a wide range of confessional courses and one of non-confessional ethics) reflects the new tendency to consider its own objectives linked to the more general ones of the school as a whole at the service of a global education. The logic of confessionalism has therefore been weakened, to the point that it has even been suggested that confessional courses be eliminated altogether in favour of a course “on the fundamental problems of life” and initiation in the principles of democratic life. Thought is also being given to the possibility of combining this course with traditional religious education. The debate remains open. France There are no courses of religion at school, but the traditional ‘aumoneries’ (chaplaincies) remain in operation. French society has long felt a progressive inculturation in the religious field that prejudices the understanding of the traditional literary and artistic heritage. The problem has, among other things, caused a reform of school programmes in which greater attention is now dedicated to the history of religions. The most important fact, however, is the report of the philosopher Debray on the teaching of religion in France, commissioned in 2001 by the then minister of education Lang. Debray’s report reaffirms the rejection of courses of religious culture in state schools, but underlines the importance of recognizing and enhancing the value of religion in the various fields of knowledge. Germany Confessional religious education at school (Catholic or Protestant) is recognized by the Constitution. Nonetheless, the situation in the various Länder is very different. An experiment is being conducted in Brandenburg: an alternative discipline to confessional RE is being taught; it tackles ethical and religious themes and guides students in the values of life. The reference to religion is placed in a non-confessional perspective. At Hamburg, too, a form of “dialogic” or interreligious RE is being experimented; students of various religious traditions dialogue between each other. Cases of confessional RE “in ecumenical cooperation”, i.e. run in common by Catholics and Protestants, also exist in Germany. Spain A regime based on the provisions of the Concordat is in force in Spain. But a new bill on schools, waiting to be converted into law, comprises RE and makes provision for a special disciplinary area in primary schools and a new subject, called “society, culture and religion”, in secondary schools. This should become part of the compulsory curriculum in all school grades. Pupils would be able to choose between a confessional or non-confessional (civic and constitutional values…) module. In Catalonia RE is optional and has been inserted among the common subjects in the first cycle of compulsory secondary school and in the first year of the baccalaureate. Switzerland The solutions vary depending on canton; but the demand for RE at school is increasingly emerging in all of them, and proposals are on the table to insert historical and cultural courses on religions in school curricula. New approaches are being studied at Neuchatel, where thought is being given to a course of “religious culture and humanism” for children aged from 12 to 15, at Lucerne, where it is planned to replace confessional courses by non-confessional ethical formation, and in Canton Ticino, where non-confessional RE for everyone and a new non-confessional course, “Complementary option religion”, are being studied.