Organisational changes to religion lessons in Polish schools as a challenge for the Church

Abstract

The unlawful changes being introduced between 2024 and 2025 by the Polish Government concern various aspects of the organisation of religion lessons at school. Among these options are the possibility of combining pupils into inter-class groups, limiting religion lessons to one hour per week, excluding religion grades from the average score, and scheduling religion classes during the first or last class hour of the day. These changes give rise to new educational and pastoral tasks. They call for deeper reflection and the development of new proposals for the organisation of religion lessons. Particularly important are the indications addressed to teachers of religion, which include concrete proposals for working with students in inter-class groups and guidelines for the implementation of the religious education curriculum in a situation where religion lessons are limited to one hour per week. Such activities have an educational dimension. They need to be supplemented by searching for new forms of dialogue between the Church and students and their parents, also outside school (e.g., in social media, in the community of the Church). At the same time, a positive image of religion lessons in the media should be created, indicating the didactic and educational value of religion teaching, including the important contribution of religion teachers to the implementation of the assumptions of holistic education and upbringing. It is competent religion teachers, involved in educational, upbringing, and preventive activities at school, who become a sign of hope and a guarantor of the implementation of educational and pastoral tasks. However, they need spiritual, psychological, substantive, and methodical support in the new and difficult organisational situation of religion lessons at school.