EFTRE constitution

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As accepted by the General Assembly - August 25th, 2010 - Bruges, Belgium

For the purposes of this document Europe shall be defined as those countries which are members of the Council of Europe.

A. Principles

EFTRE upholds the Toledo Principles on Religious Education as set out in the publication: Toledo Guiding Principles of teaching about religion and beliefs in public school” OSCE / ODIHR (2008) a copy of which can be found on the link of the website and the key points can be seen in the appendix to this constitution.

B. Aims

The AIMS of the EUROPEAN FORUM FOR TEACHERS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION are

  • to contribute to the international cooperation of teachers of Religious Education/Religious Studies (RE/RS) in the theoretical and practical aspects of their work
  • to strengthen and promote the position of RE/RS in schools in the member countries and in Europe in general.
  • to develop links between teachers of religious education in member countries
  • to lobby organisations and structures at the national and European level to improve the provision and quality of RE/RS across its member countries and across Europe

C. Methods of Working

The aims of EFTRE are to be acheived through

  • conferences, seminars and teacher exchange programs
  • cooperation with appropriate organizations, institutes and departments of RE/RS
  • exchange of information about RE/RS in schools in Europe to members of EFTRE, to national and international governmental bodies and to the public in general
  • establishing contacts with the main political bodies of Europe in cooperation with other organisations.
  • dissemination of good practice and working methods via the website
  • newsletters and other publications

D. Membership

Full members of EFTRE can be:

  • associations of teachers of RE/RS in the primary and secondary schools in Europe (students in full or part-time primary or secondary education)
  • institutes or departments concerned with the education and preparation of RE/RS teachers and the support of RE/RS in schools in Europe.
  • organisations concerned with supporting the teaching of RE/RS to students in primary or secondary education
  • organisations whose main purpose is teacher professional development for teachers of RE/RS or closely related disciplines

Associate Members of EFTRE can be:

  • individual RE/RS teachers from countries in which no RE/RS association exists
  • individuals with an interest or association with the teaching of Religious Education / Religious Studies

Friends of EFTRE can be:

  • individuals who have shown that they are committed to the principles and aims of EFTRE, have demonstrated their work in developing RE/RS in that national or international arenas and who are not members of an institutional body of EFTRE

E. Structure

General Assembly

The General Assembly meets every third year in conjunction with the triennial conference. Its main purpose is to establish EFTRE's priorities for the following three years. The General Assembly consists of one representative from each of the member organizations of EFTRE (see C above). The agenda of the General Assembly must include the following:

  • Chair's Report
  • Executive Officer’s Repor
  • Treasurer's Report
  • Confirmation of the Board
  • Common Activities and Projects.

At the General Assembly a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer should be elected from among the members of the Board. These officers along with the Executive Officer and two other nominated members shall form the Executive. These officers will serve for 3 years unless there is cause for them to be removed or if they step down in which case replacements shall be voted in at the next meeting of the board. An officer of the board may be re-elected for a maximum of three terms (9 years) after which they are required to step down from office but may still remain on the executive and/or on the board if so elected.

Board

The Board meets once a year and contains one member from each of the countries chosen by the member organizations of EFTRE within that nation. These members have voting rights but members of other organisations in good standing may send a representative. The Board may also invite others to join in the Board. The Board is responsible for:

  • reviewing the agenda set by the General Assembly and the work of the Executive
  • furthering the aims of EFTRE
  • publishing an annual report for members
  • maintaining activities
  • arrangements for the triennial conference
  • contacts with the wider RE world

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee comprises the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, two others elected by the board and the Executive Officer. The Executive Committee acts on behalf of the Board and represents EFTRE during its term of office. The Executive Committee is responsible for:

  • preparing the Board Meetings and the General Assembly
  • for the day to day operations of the organisation
  • for liaison with other organisations and with the press

F. Roles of the officers of EFTRE

Chair

The Chair is the first point of contact for outside organisations to EFTRE. (S)he will chair the meetings of the executive, board and general assembly, unless this is delegated to another member of the Executive.

The Chair will represent EFTRE when required unless this is delegated to another member of the Executive; this includes representation on the board of CoGREE (The Coordinating Group for RE in Education in Europe).

(S)he will present a report at each executive, board and general assembly meeting.

Secretary

The Secretary will prepare the agendas and the papers for meetings and will take minutes at meetings, unless this is delegated to another member of the Executive. (S)he will be responsible for communications and the papers of EFTRE.

(S)he will present a report at each executive, board and general assembly meeting.

Treasurer

The Treasurer will prepare and administer the finances of EFTRE and of the tri-annual conference. (S)he will maintain transparent and open accounts and be responsible for the administration and payment of bills as these become necessary. The funds of EFTRE will be kept in an account in Euros and the Treasurer will hold the papers of these accounts.

(S)he will be responsible for checking the accounts of EFTRE (UK) account as held by the UK representative or nominated member.

(S)he will present a report at each Executive, Board and General Assembly meeting.

Executive Officer

The Executive Officer will carry out the maintenance and developmental work of EFTRE as directed by the Board and Executive. This will include overseeing the website, newsletters and other publications and undertaking work on the tri-annual conference in collaboration with the Executive and the Board.

(S)he will present a report at each Executive, Board and General Assembly Meeting.

G. Demise

In the event of the organisation ceasing to exist any funds that still remain after all outstanding bills have been settled will go to support the work of a charitable group involved in Education and whom a meeting of the General Assembly has approved.

Appendix: The Key Toledo Principles
1. Teaching about religions and beliefs must be provided in ways that are fair, accurate and based on sound scholarship. Students should learn about religions and beliefs in an environment respectful of human rights, fundamental freedoms and civic values.
2. Those who teach about religions and beliefs should have a commitment to religious freedom that contributes to a school environment and practices that foster protection of the rights of others in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding among members of the school community.
3. Teaching about religions and beliefs is a major responsibility of schools, but the manner in which this teaching takes place should not undermine or ignore the role of families and religious or belief organizations in transmitting values to successive generations.
4. Efforts should be made to establish advisory bodies at different levels that take an inclusive approach to involving different stakeholders in the preparation and implementation of curricula and in the training of teachers.
5. Where a compulsory programme involving teaching about religions and beliefs is not sufficiently objective, efforts should be made to revise it to make it more balanced and impartial, but where this is not possible, or cannot be accomplished immediately, recognizing opt-out rights may be a satisfactory solution for parents and pupils, provided that the opt-out arrangements are structured in a sensitive and non-discriminatory way.
6. Those who teach about religions and beliefs should be adequately educated to do so. Such teachers need to have the knowledge, attitude and skills to teach about religions and beliefs in a fair and balanced way. Teachers need not only subject-matter competence but pedagogical skills so that they can interact with students and help students interact with each other in sensitive and respectful ways.
7. Preparation of curricula, textbooks and educational materials for teaching about religions and beliefs should take into account religious and non-religious views in a way that is inclusive, fair, and respectful. Care should be taken to avoid inaccurate or prejudicial material, particularly when this reinforces negative stereotypes.
8. Curricula should be developed in accordance with recognized professional standards in order to ensure a balanced approach to study about religions and beliefs. Development and implementation of curricula should also include open and fair procedures that give all interested parties appropriate opportunities to offer comments and advice.
9. Quality curricula in the area of teaching about religions and beliefs can only contribute effectively to the educational aims of the Toledo Guiding Principles if teachers are professionally trained to use the curricula and receive ongoing training to further develop their knowledge and competences regarding this subject matter. Any basic teacher preparation should be framed and developed according to democratic and human rights principles and include insight into cultural and religious diversity in society.
10. Curricula focusing on teaching about religions and beliefs should give attention to key historical and contemporary developments pertaining to religion and belief, and reflect global and local issues. They should be sensitive to different local manifestations of religious and secular plurality found in schools and the communities they serve. Such sensitivities will help address the concerns of students, parents and other stakeholders in education.
Page last updated December 14th, 2010
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