Pravda, Russia
Nov 15 2004

Lessons on religion to become compulsory at Russian schools

Moscow authorities offended Russia’s leading confession when
substituted lessons in Orthodox culture with lessons in the history
of world religions

Disputes about religion lessons in the secular school are still
heated. It seems to be generally admitted that pupils should know the
history of religion as part of the world history. But today the scope
of the lessons in the history of religion is in the focus of the
disputes. Russia’s Minister for Education and Science Andrey Fursenko
spoke at the 2004 All-Russian Social Forum and stood up for lessons
in the history of world religions at school. He said at that the
lessons must not be optional and they are to be taught by secular
teachers. Andrey Fursenko says lessons in the fundamentals of the
world religions should be secular, and pupils must be given an option
at that. The minister thinks the lessons in the history of religion
differ from religious studies carried out by clergymen of various
confessions and religions. “In this country, the school goes
separately from the church; pupils are given secular education, that
is why religion lessons cannot be compulsory at state schools,”
Andrey Fursenko says. The Ministry for Education and Science is now
compiling textbooks and drafts of two manuals on history of
religions.

The Russian Orthodox Church supports introduction of the fundamentals
of the Orthodox Culture. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II
says introduction of these lessons is advisable because school
children should be given education in religion. He also emphasized
the lessons are important as Orthodoxy is Russia’s major religion.
The Patriarch also says that followers of Islam, Buddhism or Judaism
may study their cultures as well. “Every civilized man must know the
history of his culture. The whole of Russia’s history is based upon
Orthodox traditions and moral principles,” Alexy II says. Generations
to come must know Russian historical figures such as Daniil of
Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy and Ivan Kalita, he adds.

Opponents to introduction of Orthodox culture fundamentals at schools
often say they would not let God’s Law be taught at schools. But the
Patriarch explains that history of Orthodox culture is not a
religious subject. These lessons would make school children
acquainted with Russia’s thousand-year culture if introduced at
schools as optional studies, he adds.

It was in 1992 that introduction of optional courses in God’s Law at
schools was touched upon for the first time. In 1993, head of the
Church education department Abbot Iohannes Ekonomtsev suggested
establishing of a dialogue between the church and the government as
concerning education issues. Soon, the Patriarch, the Moscow State
University President Viktor Sadovnichy and several academicians wrote
a letter requesting to introduce theology at higher education
institutions.

January 16, 1999 the Patriarchate and the Ministry for Education
concluded an agreement on cooperation. However, the minister for
education was still negative as concerning introduction of Orthodox
culture lessons at schools even till 2002. In August 2002, President
Vladimir Putin said fundamentals of Orthodox culture may be
introduced as optional lessons at schools.

However, Moscow authorities disagree with Putin’s opinion. Head of
the Education Department in the Moscow administration Lyubov Kezina
says “Orthodox lessons cannot be introduced at schools not to disturb
people practicing other religions”. Officials say it is important
because Moscow is the city where followers of various confessions
live. Instead of lessons in fundamentals of Orthodox culture, the
Moscow education department introduced lessons in all religions at
once; secular experts developed the course.

Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Public Relations department
Mikhail Dudko said in an interview to RIA Novosti that Russian
Moslems, Jews and Buddhists insist that fundamentals of any
particular religion must be taught in those parts of the country
where majority of the population practice this religion. He adds that
the situation is quite different in Moscow today. Fundamentals of
Orthodox culture are already taught in some parts of the country, but
no intensification of ethnic hatred has been registered there. On the
contrary, Mikhail Dudko says that such knowledge helps people
understand each other better. Indeed, major achievements of the
Russian culture in architecture, painting and literature are also
connected with Orthodoxy. People must know everything about the
religion that formed the history and the culture of the country.

Spokespersons for the Russian Orthodox Church say that some parts of
the textbook about fundamentals of the world religions were not
coordinated with the church. So, opinion of church experts is ignored
at that. The new course was not coordinated with clergymen of other
confessions as well.

What about religion lessons abroad?

Fundamentals of Orthodoxy have been taught at schools of Serbia,
Romania, in Central Europe and Baltic countries, Georgia and Armenia
for several years already. Many schools in Ukraine begin their
lessons with Our Father prayer. Religion is traditionally taught in
majority of state schools in Europe, which agrees with the secular
education there. Lessons in religion fundamentals are obligatory at
schools of Germany, Finland and Norway. Majority of Britain’s private
schools have chapels where pupils attend services two or three times
a week. Pupils practicing other religions may not attend these
services.

In 1962, the US Supreme Court decreed that school lessons in religion
disagreed with the Constitution; as a result, the Bible, the Koran,
the Talmud and other religion books were withdrawn from school
libraries. Today, religion lessons are optional in the USA. After
dictator Franko died in Spain, school lessons in religion became
optional there as well.

Yegor Belous

Read the original in Russian:
(Translated
by: Maria Gousseva)