Romania's proposed Religion class standards could require church attendance for grades

Romania's Ministry of Education has sparked controversy with proposed national evaluation standards for Religion class, which suggest students might be assessed on their participation in religious services and personal faith experiences. The document, currently in public consultation, has drawn criticism for potentially creating inequity.

While the annex is titled generically as "Religion," its content appears to be based on Orthodox Christian references, and separate standards for other denominations have not been published. Critics argue that these formulations shift the emphasis from skills acquired in school to personal religious experiences, effectively turning school assessments into a validation of religious beliefs.

For instance, a standard for first grade requires students to describe elements of the church "based on their participation in religious services." Higher performance levels involve providing examples from personal church attendance. This approach makes religious experiences outside of school a criterion for evaluation, despite such participation not being school-organized or a mandatory part of the subject.

Participation in services depends on family, individual religious practice, and confession, meaning students do not start from the same point when asked to meet these requirements. Similar phrasing appears in standards for other grades, evaluating concepts like "carrying God in one's mind and soul every day" or assessing "personal religious identity" and "spiritual becoming."

In response, Sorin Ion, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, stated that the document is still in the public consultation phase and that suggestions for improvement will be considered. He cautioned against reducing the standardization initiative to a single point, emphasizing the overall importance of the endeavor.