August 31, 2006
Schools Told to Give Orthodox Lessons, The Moscow Times
Compulsory courses on Orthodox Christian culture will be part of the curriculum in public schools in several regions of the country this school year, which begins Friday.
In response, the Council of Muftis of Russia announced it would push the government to expand instruction of Muslim culture beyond the Muslim republics in the North Caucasus to other regions with established Muslim communities, Interfax reported Wednesday.
Initiatives to introduce obligatory courses on religious subjects into public schools run counter to the Education Ministry’s position. The ministry contends that such courses should be offered as electives only.
In addition, the Constitution mandates the separation of church and state.
The introduction of courses in Orthodox culture are just one example of the growing influence of the church.
