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Religion and ethics instruction

The aim of religion teaching is religious and general education. Religion or ethics is a compulsory subject in comprehensive school. The instruction of religious or ethical subjects is arranged according to national and local curricula. The instruction is politically and religiously unaffiliated. The options for religious or ethical subjects are either one's own religion or ethics. The syllabi in one’s own religion varies.

In accordance with the Basic Education Act, all pupils study religious or ethical subjects either in their own religion or in ethics.

  • A member of the Evangelical Lutheran community always participates in the teaching of Evangelical Lutheran religion.
  • A member of the Orthodox community participates in the teaching of Orthodox religion or the majority religion.
  • A pupil who is not a member of any religious community participates in ethics teaching.
  • At the request of a guardian, a pupil belonging to another religious community may participate in the teaching of one’s own religion or may request participation in ethics teaching.
  • If the pupil does not participate in the teaching of any religious or ethical subject (excluding the Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox religion teaching), the school will arrange compensatory education for the pupil.
  • Instead of compensatory education, the pupil can participate in the instruction of one’s own religious community. The guardian must provide the school with a report on the pupil’s membership in the religious community and on participation in out-of-school education. Any grades obtained from teaching provided by a religious community will not be marked on report cards.

At the guardian’s request, a pupil can attend religious education of the majority (Evangelical-Lutheran religion). This is available both to pupils who are members of any other religious community and to pupils who are not members of any religious community.

The religious and ethical education of children is takes place at home. The school informs guardians about religious events held at the school at the beginning of the academic year. The guardian decides whether the pupil will attend these events or not.



 12.03.2021 16:18