Spate of resignations from Lutheran Church not yet seen in increased demand for ethics teaching in schools

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By Marjukka Liiten
     
      “I have been expecting that myself, but no contacts from parents have come yet”, says Laila Nieminen, head teacher of Helsinki’s Ruoholahti elementary school, when asked if the recent surge of resignations from the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church had led to an increase of transfers of pupils from religion class to ethics.
      “Each year a few people switch from religion to ethics, or vice versa, but now nothing like that has been seen. Perhaps those who have left the church now are mostly young adults”, says Hannu Kosonen, head teacher of the Taivallahti Elementary School in Helsinki.
     
“The moves can come with a delay from the early part of the year”, ponders Jyrki Loima, head teacher of the Viikki Teacher Training School.
      “One might imagine that if more than 30,000 suddenly quit the church, it should be reflected in a desire of parents to switch over to ethics, but no notices have come to us”, says Satu Honkala, head teacher of the Latokartano Comprehensive School.
      Nearly half of the approximately 460 pupils in Honkala’s school get teaching in some other faith than that of the Lutheran Church.
     
Last year a total of 16,200 comprehensive school pupils - about three per cent - were taught ethics instead of religion.
      In the large cities, the proportions were higher. In Helsinki this autumn, about 4,100 out of a total of 33,000 comprehensive school pupils are being taught ethics. The Muslim religion is taught to 2,700 pupils.
      Some pupils who are not members of the Lutheran Church take part in religion classes; this is possible if the parents of a child give their consent. However, children who are members of the church cannot opt for ethics instead.
     
The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities has suggested the possibility of allowing pupils and their families a free choice between religion and ethics. A similar proposal was put forward to Minister of Education Henna Virkkunen (Nat. Coalition Party) in a petition sponsored by a group of organisations.
      “I do not plan to propose it. If someone is a member of the church it is appropriate to study religion in school”, Virkkunen said to Helsingin Sanomat.
     
When the current curriculum of ethics for schools began in 1985, those opting for it had to make a separate application.
      From 2003 the requirement has been that ethics should be automatically available for all non-church members if there are at least three pupils that require it in a municipality.
     
It is possible to switch from religion to ethics class in the middle of a school year. Pupils who do so need to inform the head teacher.
      Parents who renounce their membership in a church do not automatically take their children with them. Doing so requires the written consent of both parents.
      Up to 2003, a child’s affiliation with a religious group automatically followed that of the mother, or registered guardian.
      Parents can take a child under the age of 12 out of a religious institution without the child’s consent. Children aged 12 to 14 need to be asked. Those aged 15 to 17 need their parents’ consent to leave a religious organisation, but they submit their notice of leaving the church on their own.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 24.10.2010


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Exodus from Lutheran Church hits Helsinki parishes hard (21.10.2010)
  Record numbers of Finns resign from church after gay rights panel discussion on TV (14.10.2010)
  Controversy stirring over group size suggestion for religious teaching in schools (30.10.2010)
  Pupils with non-religious background can be ignored in Finnish comprehensive schools (4.3.2008)

See also:
  Religious freedom in Finland: Two churches more equal than the rest (5.4.2005)

MARJUKKA LIITEN / Helsingin Sanomat
marjukka.liiten@hs.fi