Religious Education in Russia
Ksenija Koncarevic
Today's religious situation in Russia could be describer most concisely as
the state of postatheism and multiconfession. The influx of neophytes into
the church is noticeable from one side, not only from intelligenzia and
youth as it used to be in the 1970's and 1980"s but also from all social
layers; religious questions in mass media, schooling and science are no
longer taboo, as religious rites are no longer secretly held (on the
contrary, public persons go to other extremes, so that none of their
appearances in the temple can pass without any newspaper photographers and
TV cameraman).
From the other side primordial orthodox Russia has become the Mecca for
preachers of false teachings from krishnaism to Protestantism in all its
variants.
How does this Russian educational system react to this complex and
contradictory situation?
The most positive is the evident fact that Russian pedagogic thought and
educational practice have started going back, to its roots to water
themselves on "the well of vivid water". Odour from the ruined wells which
cannot hold water "seems to have disappeared forever". The articles about
"formation of the atheistic view of the world" have disappeared from the
pages of pedagogic magazines, and in every - day experience all forms of
atheistic (in fact anti-theistic) pressure on pupils. Since the school
year 1989/90. priests and laymen have been permitted to give elective
courses of cathechism in schools interpretations of Holy scripture,
elementary theology and special pupils' clubs have been organized which
consider the mention topics. The elective courses and non teaching
activities include pupils from 8th to 10th form. Contents studied by the
pupils could be grouped, according to a report published in the magazine
"Sovietskaya Pedagogica" (No 12 in 1990.) mostly into the following
topics: "Religion as cultural phenomenon", "Interpretation of Holy
Scripture"., "History of Religious Philosophy; Christianity in the history
of the Russians", "Religion and Literature", "Religion and science",
"Orthodox Anthropology" etc. As cited in the report pupils show great
interest in visits to temples, monasteries, icon galleries, presence to
services, familiarizing with the orthodox musical inheritance or so.
A number of experimental schools, "Orthodox High schools" have been
founded, which work in almost all cities (e.g. 12 such schools have
already worked in Moscow in 1994.) This school is of Christian (lay) type
which means that its task is not professional qualifying of future
priests, as it is the case with theological schools and spiritual
academies. Children from Christian families who want to get education
families who want to get education and breeding in orthodox spirit enter
them.
"Our school is by no means elitistic" - points out the headmaster of the
First Orthodox Classical High School from Moscow Alexey Sisoyev in an
interview! The task itself to educate all children from orthodox families
would be contradictory to making a choice among the best only: "The School
Staff of this school consists of enthusiastic admirers of pedagogical work
and the most important-they are all, without exception, members of
Christ's church. The teaching level is very high, thanks to carefully
planned programs, carefully chosen collaborators and the spirit that rules
the schools. The school still has a certain professional direction in
final years (pedagogical direction).
Orthodox high schools give extremely wide general education. This
obligatory subjects are Old Greek, Latin, Old Slavonic, mother (Russian
tongue and literature), foreign (west European) language, antique culture,
philosophy, history, art history, musical education, and there are also
several professional (theological and pedagogical) subjects.
It is interesting to mention several cultural educational subject, such as
"Elements of the Orthodox Culture", "Russian Culture", "Culture of
Christian Europe", "Antique Culture" all these create spiritual potential
which mostly overcomes knowledge at the level of general educational
schools.
"One of the most important results achieved in the High School, in my
opinion, is that we created unusual atmosphere typical only for us,
specific tone and character of the relationship between teachers and
children" - points out the headmaster of the First High School. In fact
the point is that every moral problem is solved on religious foundation.
Every pupils knows that. But he also knows that a sin can be repented. We
always give the pupils possibilities for redemption. Children can confess
to the priest (school clergyman) at any time and to feel beneficial
release from a sin. The children are, not imposed to orthodox conception
of the world, man and their own personalities they are not demanded to
confess their religion on classes, to give explanation about their
religion. Everyone should make conscious choice.
And children choose Christ as the foundation of their beings, and they
build their personalities on that foundation, finding tranquillity and
peace. Numerous non educational activities are organized in high schools.
Children get to know icon painting inheritance, they revive the tradition
of church singing and do literary and theatrical creativity. There are
numerous competitions and cultural shows where pupils of Orthodox high
school have achieved enviable results.
Orthodox high school have only one but a huge problem - the financing
problem. First such schools have been founded under the patronage of the
Orthodox educational society "Radonjez'", which took over the
responsibility to be the main financier of all activities of these
institutions. Still the state donations may turn out to be useful.
Unfortunately, there are only two religious educational institutions
financed from the budget - State Jewish Academy "Maymonid" and The Academy
of Eurhythmic Art (to escape confusion, this ornate name hides
anthrophosophy of R. Steiner!)
And there we come to the other side in the reformation of Russian
Schooling of postatheistic time. Parallel to high school lycee (state and
private) where the orthodox religion was introduced as elective subject,
there are also cases where children are taught sectarian doctrines and
suspicious religious learning. For example the deacon Andrey Kurayev, dean
at the Faculty of Philosophy and theology of the Orthodox University in
Moscow writes about how obligatory lessons-cabbala have been introduced in
one Moscow's school. Secrets of Cabalare hidden under the more rational
and more acceptable name of this subject, which is officially named "Skill
in becoming a man" Teaching is conducted by the methods of the center of
Jen Gaver and it includes children from the first to the eleventh form.
Suitable books are included where esoteric places are given in French so
that parents would not discover. But, when several cleverer and more
religiously educated parents found out what it was about, they decided to
demand acceptance of the director of the Town hall, office of the Ministry
of Education but the latter having found out the reason of their
dissatisfaction refused to accept them: All in the name of democracy...
Serbia children except those in the Serbian Republic, haven't got an
opportunity yet to get some knowledge of orthodox religion at least
electively. Is it possible that creators of educational policy think that
children can be endlessly kept isolated from the intrusion of any
information about Christ and church. Of course they cite the abstract
principle that there is no established religion in our country, but
experience constantly denies them; judging by our mass media Serbia is
overwhelmed by established religion, the name of which is magic and
occultism.
So it's up to us to choose whether teachers and tutors of our children
will be Vavas, Kleopatras, Miljas, Mun Asahara, Billy Grem or the Orthodox
Church, with its clerical inheritance which inspires the Serbian people
from time immemorial, from the beginning!
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