Poland Shakes Up School Religion Classes: Down to One Hour Weekly by 2025
In a bold move, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka of Poland recently announced plans to slash religious education in schools, starting from September 1, 2025. Under the new guidelines, students will only receive one hour of religious instruction per week, a significant reduction that has sparked debates and controversies.
Implementation and Rationale
The policy shift aims to level the playing field by ensuring that grades from religion and ethics classes will no longer impact students’ GPAs. Additionally, new regulations will allow for inter-class grouping during religion lessons to streamline resources and logistics.
Despite pushback from religious authorities, Minister Nowacka stresses the importance of separating Church and State while upholding the Concordat. Critics fear a decline in moral and spiritual development, calling for parental vigilance to preserve Poland’s religious heritage and intellectual freedom.