Organising religious education is the responsibility of the school and city/municipality, if there is at least three orthodox students of the age of obligatory education in the city/municipality.
The parish can assist in the organization of religious education and informing families about it, especially if there has not previously been orthodox religious education in the city or municipality of the new first graders.
More information: parish secretary Leena Haapala-Lindholm (044 751 4423, turku@ort.fi)
Basic Information about Religious Education:
According to the Basic Education Act, orthodox christian education must be provided if there is at least three students that are members of the Orthodox Church in the municipality. There is, however, still a lot of room for improvement in the practical arrangements of the teaching, both from the perspective of the students as well as the teachers.
In problematic situations regarding the teaching of a student’s own religion, the parent must primarily contact the principal of the school responsible for the education. The Church’s head of education will also give guidance and interfere in unjust situations when necessary.
According to the curriculum of basic education the central goal of orthodox christian education is to strengthen and maintain the orthodox identity of the student. It aims to provide information, skills and experiences for the student to build their own world view and grow to be ethically responsible.
source: ort.fi