Ev. Lutheran Church opposes reduction in religious teaching
The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church rejects proposals to reduce the number of religious education lessons from the basic school curriculum.
In the view of Jukka Keskitalo, Chancellor of the Church Council, the teaching of religion is the best form of multicultural education.
The Church Council adds that a reduction in religious teaching in schools would be at odds with the government’s own manifesto. This contains a clause calling for a greater teaching of ethics in classrooms.
On Monday, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported the government planned to decide this week on a reduction of religious education in Finnish schools.
An Yle survey of student teachers found that many would like to eliminate religion from the basic school curriculum.
The teaching of religion is compulsory in Finnish schools. Some 77 percent of Finns are members of the state-supported Lutheran Church.
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