Religion in the “Curriculum 21” for German-speaking Switzerland
In future Swiss schools will have
common curricula in the different language regions. These will replace the
existing curricula of the cantons. It is a special challenge that religion is
incorporated because of the traditionally confessional differences between the
cantons as well as the existing religious plurality and the secularization of
society. This context provides a special challenge for the school system.
In the French-speaking cantons of
West Switzerland a common “Plan d’Etudes Romand PE” has already come into
force. It includes a section on “Ethique et Cultures religieuses“. As a
“spécifité cantonale” it is not binding and is used according to that status.
With regard to the 21 German and multilingual cantons a common curriculum
project has started called “Lehrplan 21”; here, within a comprehensive area of
studies, “Nature-Human being-Society”, there is a sub-area called
“Ethics-Religions-Community”. Through this, the theme of religion is positioned
in the general education of primary school; a confessional religious education
is no longer part of the school. This is dedicated to the religious
communities. The Curriculum 21 is competence oriented and it is planned to have
it implemented from 2015 onwards.
Religion and Culture: new school books for students
In the canton of Zürich a new school
subject called “Religion and Culture” has been in the process of implementation
for a couple of years. The subject is obligatory for all pupils of grade 1 to
grade 8, whatever religious affiliation they have. In cooperation with the
different religious communities and with experts new school books have been
developed. The volumes “Blickpunkt 1 bis 3” are available from June 2013
onwards. Now, for the first time German school books exist for religious
education where all pupils attend, those with and those without a religious
affiliation. The books are published by the state-owned publisher of the canton
of Zürich:www.blickpunkt-religionundkultur.ch
(This post is based on a report of Johannes
Kilchsperger, ICCS correspondent in IV & ICCS Newsletter No. 3, May 2013)