Please remember that I am going to put some observations here through the lens of a U.S. teacher. I will try to formulate my thoughts in a way that is inquisitive & appreciative of the societal differences and expectations.
When I first learned that religion was part of the curriculum in Finnish schools, I was skeptical. In the first few weeks here I've asked questions and researched and have come to better understand the goals of the religion courses. Religious Education is a required subject throughout a students school career, one to two hours a week. I have come to understand that the time is not spent on specific religious teachings, but instead focuses on general education of the principles of religious beliefs.
Let's start with the religious affiliations of Finns, 67% of the population belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELC), 1.1% identify with the Finnish Orthodox Church, and 0.4% (about 21,000) are members of Islamic congregations. 31% do not identify with any religious group (2021 Statistics). Some of what I have read indicates that the large number of people not affiliated with a specific religion is not due to their beliefs but rather the national Church Tax. If you are a registered member of the Evangelic Lutheran, Orthodox, and Finnish German church in Finland rates of mandatory tax are between 1% - 2.1% depending on the parish within your municipality.
Traditionally a child would be registered for a class that aligns with their parents religion. If a family does not have a registered religion a student might spend the allotted time in a secular ethics or philosophy class. National curriculum indicates and teachers told me that the goal is to obtain a general education about world religions. The classes teach a student to take into consideration ones own religious views but the teachings are not based on the specific religion. Finland wants educated citizens who can participate in interreligious dialogue around the world and develop ethical responsibility throughout life.
According to infofinland.fi there are 140 registered religions in Finland. The law requires that if there are at least 3 students that request class in a different registered religion, the school must provide it. There is national curriculum in Evangelical Lutheran religion, Orthodox religion, Adventist religion, Bahá'í religion, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Catholic religion, Hare Krishna religion, and the religions of the Christian Community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I believe in cultural competence as a path to greater understanding among societies. In reading and researching religion in Finnish schools, I can see where these classes help lead to this outcome. The focus, no matter which religion if any, is the basis of the course, truly appears to be on creating citizens who have a base understanding of ethical behavior and can converse with others in a respectful way, even those who have different beliefs. Religious inquiry is one pathway to achieve this goal and I can honestly say that it makes me wonder if a similar requirement around the world wouldn't lead to more respectful discourse among people...
The author of this website/blog/etc. is a participant of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program (Fulbright DA), a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. The views and information presented are the participant's own and do not represent the U.S.
Opmerkingen