Within the framework of the new educational law, the LOMLOE, work continues to renew the religion curriculum.
We summarize here the 10 points of the conclusions of this document.
As Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences, underlined in his opening address to the forum. The teaching of religion is placed at the service of the common good and humanization.
This implies putting the person at the center of the educational process.The "Global Education Pact" and his encyclicals Laudato si' and Laudato si' are the same line that Pope Francis is pointing out with regard to the "Global Education Pact". Fratelli tutti.
The forum highlighted the international framework of educational renewal, especially the European one, with references to ongoing projects: that of PISA and the OECD, of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda, and of UNESCO. In particular, the framework of key "competencies". (see below, n. 7) for lifelong learning, which are proposed for every citizen of the European Union, updated in 2018, and the European Education Area planned for 2025.
Without going into the political, legal and economic issues affecting educational institutions and families, the pedagogical novelties of the curricular framework of the LOMLOE, still pending to be specified by means of the corresponding decrees for the various educational stages, have been highlighted here.
n this CARF reflection meeting, held on February 25, 2021, we answer the questions that arise from the new Organic Law 3/2020, of December 29 (LOMLOE) or Celaá Law, by Jesús Muñoz de Priego Alvear, lawyer, legal advisor, author of numerous articles, books and papers and spokesman for the Plataforma Más Plurales.
As "sources" of the religion curriculum, and in correspondence with the dimensions of the person), four have been identified for many decades: the epistemological source (which determines the object, contents and methods of this education), which is the theologyand the psychological, socio-cultural and pedagogical sourcesThe following are necessary to take into account the students, their context and the way of teaching them.
Consequently, theology (reflection on faith) intervenes to lay the foundations of the dialogue between faith and culture, proper to the educational processes in our subject. And also to point out the contents proper to this teaching, such as: the Revelation transmitted by Tradition and Scripture: the knowledge of God the Father and the centrality of Christ, Christian anthropology, the ecclesial community and its history, the principles and values of Christian social thought. All this should be articulated in a pedagogical key and in accordance with the cognitive development of the students.
Indeed, as is evident, good theological knowledge is not enough for this, but it also requires dialogue with the human sciences (pedagogy, psychology, sociology), which must begin in the mind of the teacher.
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The teaching of religion is placed in the context of school formation, therefore in parallel and in dialogue with the other subjects of the school curriculum. Faith brings its own light and perspectiveThe aim is to be able to engage in this dialogue in a way that is fruitful for the care of people and the world, both locally and globally. This contributes to educating students for intercultural and interreligious dialogue in their environment (in their families, with their friends and fellow citizens), taking into account their own culture with its largely Christian roots and aiming at commitment to justice and the common good in our societies.
Consequently, this teaching assumes the school approach characteristic of democratic societies. Therefore, is conceived and carried out as a service to society and to individuals. In this sense, it differs from the catechumenate or catechumenate. catechesisproper to the ecclesial community. That is why the teaching of religion needs to refer, at the school and academic level, to cultural and religious pluralism, in its role of contributing to human, intellectual, emotional and vital formation, since religion is a response to the need for spirituality and meaning proper to every human being.
Also at the last Plenary Assembly held at the end of 2020, it focused its reflection on these issues, to which it joined the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.
Education currently emphasizes competencies (competency was defined by the European Council in 2006 as "a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the context"). And for this, educational laws set guidelines and minimum goals.
The European Union describes eight key competencies for lifelong learning in 2018:
Therefore, the new religion curriculum should outline and specifically state its objectives in accordance with these competencies, in each of the educational stages (infant, primary, secondary and high school), specifying the basic learning and its contents, in accordance with the dimensions of education (cognitive, instrumental and attitudinal) as well as the evaluation criteria and other specific orientations.
At this forum The challenge of educational innovation in the area of religion has been requested to be translated with flexibility, when programming the new curriculum by cycles and courses, and taking into account the curricula of other subjects. This can facilitate the integration of the teaching of religion with other subjects. in certain interdisciplinary projects.
Finally, there have been calls for opening the curriculum to methodologies (such as "service-learning") that connect the teaching of religion with activities of transformation or improvement of the social environment and cultural context. These innovative methods have been found to increase both motivation and understanding of the essential content to be taught. The ways to concretize these projects are up to each center and to the teachers.
The educational reform of the LOMLOE goes in the direction of decentralizing some issues raised by the curriculum. This opens the possibility, in the case of the Catholic religion, of combining common elements at the state level with others more specific to each local reality.
As can be seen from a careful reading of the document, the interest of the subject is great and not only for the case of Spain. For, sooner or later, the issues raised here (either on the margins or combined with other political, legal and economic problems) reflect the paths and horizons along which to advance, along with opportunities to improve many aspects of the teaching of religion.
The ultimate concreteness of the curriculum and, above all, its implementation will require an increasingly higher qualification of religion teachers, as well as their updating and continuous training.
On the part of the directors of educational institutions, all of this calls for great sensitivity, ability to dream with feet on the ground (investing in training and resources). In this way it will be possible to advance in this fascinating task at the service of all: students, families and teachers, society and the ecclesial community.
Mr. Ramiro Pellitero Iglesias
Professor of Pastoral Theology
Faculty of Theology
University of Navarra
Published in "Church and new evangelization".
