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Religious education

According to the Education Act, the religious education in public schools is a voluntary subject. According to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act religious education shall be non-confessional, and a school is required to conduct religious education if there are at least 15 students of the same study age. The curriculum of the subject is approved by the Ministry of Education, and the teachers of religion in public schools must have both pedagogical training as well as training in religious studies or theology.
Two primary schools in Estonia are owned by religious associations – one by Roman Catholic Church and the other by Charismatic Christian "Word of Life" Congregation. The Estonian Jewish Community has also its own school – the Tallinn Jewish School. However, since 2010, several schools owned by foundations connected to religious associations have been established, and there are now also Lutheran and Orthodox private primary schools.

For further information, see the article "Religious education in Estonia" of Merilin Kiviorg in Gerhard Robbers (Hrsg.), Religion in Public Education – La religion dans l’éducation publique, European Consortium for Church and State Research, Trier, 2011, p. 117-138.

September 2014

D 18 September 2012    ARingo Ringvee

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

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