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Religious Education in Latvia

About Latvia

Latvia is a parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister, as chief executive, and the Cabinet are responsible for government policy. The President, as Head of State, is elected by the Parliament (Saeima). Latvia is a multicultural society. People with different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds confer each other in everyday life and share their experience.

In the modern world it is impossible to find a country where the population is comprised of only one ethnic, linguistic and religious entity. Latvia is no exception. Latvia is inhabited by people of many different backgrounds: Latvians (58.2%), Russians (29.2%), Byelorussians (4%), Ukrainians (2.6%) and others.

In Latvia there are three dominant religions: Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Orthodox Christianity. On May 2002, the Justice Ministry had registered more than 1,000 congregations. This includes: Lutheran (309), Roman Catholic (251), Orthodox (114), Baptist (89), Old Believer Orthodox (67), Seventh-Day Adventist (46), Jehovah's Witnesses (10), Methodists (12), Jewish (7), Buddhist (4), Muslim (7), Hare Krishna (10), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (3), and more than 100 others. Other religous groups include Baptists, Pentecostals, and Evangelical Protestants.

In contemporary Latvia, a variety of religious traditions and worldviews have taken their position in the everyday life of Latvians. Education for the diversity is a necessary way of building a sustainable future. The challenge for Latvia is how to educate accountable citizens who will embrace diversity as a value in order to find various ways to locate themselves in multiple relationships. Consequently, education has to place a greater emphasis on navigating difference and revealing teachers’ patterns of relatedness towards oneself, others, and the world. The issue in Latvia is how can educators find a creative and sustainable balance between dominant values and diversity in an emerging multicultural society.

The status of Religion and Religious Organizations

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. There is no state religion; however, the Government distinguishes between "traditional" (Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Old Believers, Baptists, and Jewish) and "new" religions. It is stated in the Law on Religious Organizations (1995) that students in public schools can choose to study confessional Christian faith.

In the amendments of the Law on Religious Organizations (1996) it is stated that the state finances school in teaching Christian faith. In the Law of Education it is stated that the students can choose to study Christian faith or ethics in public schools in Latvia or both subjects simultaneously. Since 1999, the representatives of 4 traditional confessions have designed the non-confessional educational program for Christian faith for forms 1- 4 In 2003 the study of Christian faith/Ethics is compulsory in form 1.

Dzintra Ilisko - Septmber 2007

 

Religiska izglitiba Latvija

1993.gada tika izveidota Starpkonfesionala kristigas izglitibas koleg¸ija.

1994.gada notika Latvijas Izglitibas darbinieku kongress, kura tika pien¸emta rezolucija “Par religiskas izglitosanas iespeja¯m visparizglitojosa skola".

Rezolucijas 2.punkta pausts Latvijas pedagogu saimes vairakuma viedoklis: “Pakapeniski izglitibas programmas var tikt ieviesti darbigas etikas un religijas macibas (ar starpkonfesionalu ievirzi) kursi, no kuriem skolenam butu jaizvelas vismaz viens.”

1995.gada tiek pienemts “Religisko organizaciju likums”, kas 6.panta paredz ka izveles prieksmetu macit konfesionalu ticibas macibu un, ka “valsts un pasvaldibu skolas kristigas ticibas macibu var macit personam, kuras rakstveida izteikusas velesanos to apgut.”

Ar 1996.gada veiktie grozijumi “Religisko organizciju likuma nosaka, ka “kristigas ticibas macbas un etikas macisana tiek finanseta no valsts budzeta”.

1998.gada pienemts jaunai Izglitibas likums, kura 10.pants nosaka: “Izglitibas sistema nodrosina apzinas brivibu.

Izglitojamie pec izveles apgust kristigas ticibas macibu vai etiku vai ari kristigas ticibas macibu un etiku vienlaikus”

IZM, apkopojot 1997./98.m.g. rezultatus par religiskas izglitibas stavokli valsti, secinaja, ka no 1028 skolam tikai 194 skolas berni izvelejusies macities konfesionalu ticibas macibu, kas sastadija tikai 4% no visiem skolu audzekniem.

Sie fakti rosinaja domat par tiem 96% audzeknu, kas joprojam paliek bez jebkadas religiskas izglitibas iespejam.

1998./99.mac.g., visparziglitojoso skolu macibu prieksmetu paraugplana pamatskola 7.klase ir ieklauts tresais socialo zinibu macibu prieksmets – etika vai kristiga etika.

1998.g. 9.julija ar IZ ministra J.Gaigala rikojumus tika izveidota Relig¸iskas izglitibas konsultativa padome, lai izstradatu priekslikumus religiskas izglitibas politikas veidosanai.

2004.gada 19.februari un 4.marta Konsultativas padomes sedes, tika pienemti attiecigi kristigas macibas un etikas standartu projekti 1-3.klasei.

2004.gada 9.marta tiek izdots ministra K. Sadurska rikojums Nr.144 “Par macibu prieksmetu standartu ieviesanu 2004./2005., 2005./2006., 2006./2007.macibu gada”

Dzintra Ilisko - Septmber 2007

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