Mandatory religion courses need new teachers

The Romanian parliament is currently discussing a draft law that would make religious education mandatory in schools. In the daily Adevărul the philosopher Andrei Pleşu welcomes the initiative on certain conditions: "My belief is that religious education should instil a familiarity with the major revelatory texts of the culture in which we live. Everyone who grows up in the Christian realm should be familiar with the Bible, the history of Christianity and the differences between the Christian confessions. ... It is unspeakable for high school graduates to have no idea what 'sacrament', 'confession', 'icon' and so on mean. ... But to give religion classes a proper, authentic form, we need a new generation of teachers. ... Making religion mandatory without ensuring sound pedagogical training will lead to hypocrisy and a rejection of religion. And I sincerely hope both may be avoided."

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