eurel     Sociological and legal data on religions in Europe and beyond
You are here : Home » In the public debate » Romania

Romania

  • January 2016: Religion classes in Romania’s public schools

Since the end of 2014 and throughout 2015, Romanian public debate has been extensively occupied by sharp controversies about religion classes. A discipline in pre-university education, compulsory in the teaching curriculum from pre-school to the final year of high school, it has ceased to be a simple academic subject and has become the focus of national debate. This shift came about when the method for enrolling in religion classes was modified, as a direct result of a decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania.

Read the full article of Vasile Cretu in pdf (in French).

  • May 2015: passing of draft law on religious education

On 18 May 2015, the Senate (the decision-making chamber) adopted the draft law on enrolment in religious education with 119 votes “for” and 2 “against”. The draft normative law takes into account the proposal and argument made by the Advisory Council on Religions in Romania on 28 February 2015.
Article 18 (paragraph 2) of the Law on National Education no. 1/2011 is modified as follows: “To register participation in lessons on religion, a written request must be made by pupils of adult age or by the parent or legal guardian of pupils who are minors. Changing this option is also possible provided that a written request is made by pupils of adult age or else by the parent or legal guardian of pupils who are minors. If the pupil does not take part in religious education, schooling will be finalised omitting the subject religion. The same applies to pupils for whom, for objective reasons, the conditions for taking part in lessons in this subject were not met”. This law was adopted by the Romanian President on 18 June 2015.
The Romanian Patriarchate drew up a Strategic Plan for Better Quality Religious Education (3-4 June 2015). The document aims at improving the quality of religious education in state schools by ensuring coherence between religious education provided at school, in the family, the Church and other areas of education, as well as by providing useful information on religious education in relation to the entire school offering.

Read the complete article by Vasile Cretu as a pdf.

  • February 2015: reactions to the passing of the Law on Religious Education by the Constitutional Court

In accordance with current legislation, in Romania religion is a school subject that is part of the common core of the educational provision, mandatory for the educational system as a whole. Pupils’ participation in religious education remains optional, but school establishments have an obligation to ensure the presence of religion among the disciplines offered within the curriculum.
On 12 November 2014, the Plenary Assembly of the Constitutional Court wanted to resolve the exception of unconstitutionality of the provisions of the Law on Education no. 84/1995 and of the Law on National Education no. 1/2011. Possessing a majority of votes, it acknowledged the exception of unconstitutionality and confirmed the unconstitutionality of the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (2), first sentence, of the Law on Education no. 84/1995 (the text declared unconstitutional, in force for almost 20 years, was as follows: “On written request by the parents or the legal guardian, the pupil may opt out of religious education”) and of the provisions of Article 18, paragraph (2), first sentence, of the Law on National Education no. 1/2011 (the text declared unconstitutional is as follows: “On written request by the pupil of adult age or by their parents or legal guardian for the pupil who is a minor, the pupil can opt out of religious education”). This decision was perceived by a large part of society as “a blow to religious education”; the reasons for the decision by the Constitutional Court no. 669 of 12 November 2014 on the status of lessons in religion was therefore published on 23 January 2015 in the “Official Gazette”, Part I, no. 59/2015. There the Court lays out in a positive and reasoned manner the importance of courses in religion.
Representatives from the Romanian Orthodox Church considered, however, that the decision by the Constitutional Court was “discriminatory and humiliating, that they were seeking to discourage pupils’ participation in lessons on religion through excessive bureaucratic procedures and that underlying this decision were aspects of a legal nature and implications as regards stances on conscience on a personal and community level”.

Read the complete article by Vasile Cretu as a pdf.

  • February 2015: mobilisation for courses of religion

On 28 February 2015, the Advisory Council of Religions in Romania announced to the Romanian Parliament their draft proposal for adopting the legal provisions aimed at ensuring respect for Decision no. 669/2014 by the Constitutional Court.
Efforts by the Church to defend and promote courses in religion have led to the creation of a “Parents’ Association for Religious Education” (APOR). In two months, APOR became the most important and most active non-governmental organisation of parents in Romania, with 40 branches and more than 7,000 members; it has given rise to many public pronouncements “for religion at school” by personalities from the worlds of culture, entertainment or sport.

Read the complete article by Vasile Cretu as a pdf.

D 29 February 2016    AVasile Cretu

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

Follow us:
© 2002-2024 eurel - Contact