Formation of spiritual and moral values of the individual through the introduction of religious education: the experience of France

Abstrakt

The article considers the issue of changes in the policy on religious education of students in public schools of the department of AlsaceMoselle (east of France). The modern strategy of religious education of schoolchildren in this area was developed by the government at the beginning of the XXI century after the publication of the report of the Commission on the observance of the principle of secularism in the French Republic. In this region, students in public schools had the opportunity to study the Catholic, Protestant or Jewish religions. Religious education was carried out under the patronage of local authorities, the participation of religious figures in educational work with young people was regulated by a special agreement between representatives of regional administrations and churches. Today, primary schools in Alsace-Moselle are denominational, religious education is conducted separately with students - representatives of each of the official denominations within the subject “Religion”. Secondary schools (colleges and lyceums) are non-denominational, but they also have religious instruction. The subject “Religion” is a school discipline, which is characterized by cultural and interdisciplinary openness, its center is the axiological component. At the initiative of school teachers of religion, a number of collective projects of appropriate content under the slogans “cultural and religious awakening” and “modern communication” were launched, in addition, teachers consider charity as an important component of religious education. It is concluded that the traditional religious education in France is currently being modernized in accordance with the peculiarities of French society as multicultural and multi-confessional, recognizing the need to adhere to an interdisciplinary approach to religious education of students, combining or to refuse them.