Clear distinction to be made between the teaching of religion to children in a factual way

In the future pupils in schools in Zug will be taught about religious matters in a factual way only, and indeed compulsorily, with further instruction in a more proselytising way taught outside the school by a representative of the appropriate faith, and as an option.

This change is all to do with the introduction of the new “Lehrplan 21” syllabus which is being unfurled across the 21 German-speaking cantons.

Helping with this change is the (Catholic-oriented) Education, Catechetics and Media Advisory Centre of the canton of Zug (BKM), which has devised new teaching material for church representatives who teach.

Speaking as head of the BKM, Guido Estermann (photograph) said that the way of teaching religion (by representatives of the church) was far more “competency-oriented” these days. “It is not just about imparting knowledge; it is about pupils being able to apply what they have learned.”

This is one reason why it was thought appropriate to change from the old system, another reason being that the connection of a school with a particular branch of religion was no longer widely as accepted today as in the past. “In the future, schools will be responsible for the teaching of the collective knowledge about faith and thereby make an important contribution to cultural education, while the church will be responsible for “religious socialisation”, Estermann explained.

The BKM will also be holding training courses for teachers of religion in schools, i.e. not just those who teach children as representatives of the church; these are to take place over the course of this academic year prior to the implementation of this part of the new syllabus in the school year 2019-20.

Not that this is “to get in by the back door in any way”, as Estermann was keen to point out, but simply to support school staff charged with this. “And both sides, church and school, will remain in close contact with each other. “We just hope it works across the board,” he added, saying, too, that it would take between five and seven years before it would be up and running effectively.