Religion leaders

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The Orthodox Christian News Service

Published by Stetson University Russia Religion News, December 15, 2003

Religion leaders still want religion classes in schools

APPEAL OF THE INTERRELIGIOUS COUNCIL OF RUSSIA TO RUSSIAN MINISTER OF EDUCATION V.M. FILIPPOV

Much esteemed Vladimir Mikhailovich:

At the present time the legislation of our country contains substantial problems pertaining to the legal regulation of religious education. Standards are lacking which would strengthen the rights of parents to choose and implement religious education and training of children. The possibility for the implementation of this right is established in international documents on human rights and it provides that in fulfilling any of its functions that the state takes upon itself in the area of education and training it will respect the right of parents to choose for their own children such education and training that corresponds to their own religious convictions.

We consider that substantive legal standards must be established in the legislation of the Russian federation, in particular, in the Code of the Russian Federation on Education that is now being prepared or in making changes and additions to the federal law "On education."

We append suggestion for improving the legislation of the Russian federal on education that was prepared by specialists of the Interreligious Council of Russia.

With profound respect,

Head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangkha of Russia, Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Aliusheev;
Chairman of the Coordinating Center of Muslims of Northern Caucasus, Mufti Sheikh Ismail Berdiev;
Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin;
Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad;
Chief rabbi of Russia (FEOR) Berl Lazar;
Chairman of the Central Ecclesiastical Administration of Muslims of Russia, Supreme Mufti Sheikh-ul-Islam Talgat Tajuddin;
Chief rabbi of Russia (KEROOR), S. Shaevich;

Suggestions of Interreligious Council of Russia for improvement of the legislation of the Russian federation on education.

The establishment in the legislation of the Russian federation of the procedure for implementation of the rights of pupils to gain knowledge about religion and the procedure for studying religion in state and municipal educational institutions will permit the protection of the rights of both believers and nonbelievers and preclude violations of freedom of conscience and of freedom of religious confession. Changes and additions in the legislation of the Russian federation can be made in the form of introducing changes and additions into the Russian federation law "On education" by a separate chapter or in the form of an addition to the Code of the Russian Federation on Education that is now being discussed, or in the form of a separate federal law (with such possible titles as "On religious education," or "On the human right to receiving religious education and guarantees of its implementation")

It seems expedient to establish in the legislation specific legal indicators of secularity (the secular character) of education in state and municipal educational institutions.

In our opinion, it is important to improve the legislation in the following directions:

1. Establishing a system of measures and forms of support by the state of nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations) that conduct educational programs in accordance with state standards; establishing educational financing from the budgets of component elements of the Russian federation for state accredited nongovernmental institutions of general education for their execution of basic educational curricula in accordance with state educational standards; maintenance of standards for exemption of educational institutions, regardless of their organizational legal form, with the exception of entrepreneurial activity, from all forms of taxes on their activity, including payment for land (part 3 of article 40 of Russian law "On education," such a standard is absent from the draft of the Russian Code on Education); establishment for pedagogical workers of nongovernmental educational institutions that have state accreditation of the rights to all social guarantees and privileges established for pedagogical workers of state and municipal educational institutions; equalization of the status of persons studying in nongovernmental educational institutions that have state accreditation with respect to social and academic rights with the status of those studying in state educational institutions, with the exception of the right to receive a state stipend; providing agencies of governmental authority and agencies of local administration the possibility of aiding the educational and other activity of nongovernmental educational institutions (and organizations), including setting minimal levels of rental fees in leases of state or municipally owned buildings (premises), concluded by authorized agencies with nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations); extension to nongovernmental educational institutions (organizations) tax privileges on heating and energy and on payment for communal services for the use of communications services provided for state educational institutions under federal jurisdiction.

2. Establishing in the legislation of the Russian federation a procedure of exercizing the rights of pupils of state and municipal educational institutions to receive religious education in the forms of theological education in higher schools, and of teaching information about religious culture in secondary schools and preschool institutions on a voluntary basis, as well as teaching religion by religious organizations in state and municipal educational institution outside of the framework of the required curriculum.

3. Establishing standards for admission into state and municipal educational institutions of religious education by religious organizations constituting an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia.

4. Establishing the requirement of an obligatory taking account of the position of religious organizations constituting an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia at the time of resolving educational problems that affect them. In particular, establishing the procedure for consulting with religious organizations over textbooks and teaching resources authorized and recommended by the Russian Ministry of Education that contain information about religions that constitute an inseparable part of the historic heritage of the peoples of Russia. To avoid ideological one-sidedness and errors in presenting to pupils information about religion it is necessary to establish a procedure and enumeration of instances for the obligatory inclusion of conclusions of experts and taking them into account by state agencies of administration of education, which have been prepared by authorized agencies or representatives of religious organizations.

5. Establishment of standards for state accreditation of institutions of professional religious education (ecclesiastical educational institutions) of religious organizations in the area of their fulfilment of state educational standards.

6. It seems expedient to maintain the requirement of practicing culture-forming training in state and municipal educational institutions, that is, relating the content of education to the cultural and moral traditions, values, and distinctives of Russian society, and directing education to acquainting the individual with the values of Russian and world culture. (tr. by PDS)