The rp.pl website reports that some classes in secondary schools now have not a single student attending religion classes.
“Indeed, there are situations in which students drop religion classes,” Marek Pleśniar of the Polish Association of Educational Management Staff confirms in an interview with Rzeczpospolita. “But this is the first time we have encountered such a large scale this year. Until now, it had never concerned entire classes.”
Details on rp.pl.
What is it like in Bolesławiec?
We asked the directors of county-run educational institutions what the situation looks like in the City of Ceramics. What did we establish? There is such a tendency in most schools, but it certainly cannot be described as an exodus.
Laura Słocka-Przydróżna, principal of the General and Vocational Schools Complex named after Major Henryk Sucharski in Bolesławiec:
The number of students who do not attend religion classes remains at a similar level to previous years. Of course, this may change during the school year. Currently, the majority of students attend religion classes.
Cezary Czernatowicz, principal of the First General Secondary School in Bolesławiec:
We do not have such a situation. Religion classes are held in every class. There are classes in which all students attend them; there is no mass withdrawal.
It is worth noting that we are a school that offers students ethics. Those who do not attend religion classes, and even those who do attend them, may also take part in ethics classes. There is also a small group of students who attend neither. But I do not see any upward trend here.
Jacek Jurkiewicz, principal of the Construction Schools Complex:
This year, the Construction Schools Complex admitted students to 10 divisions, so it is difficult to make a comparison, but generally speaking, the number of people submitting statements that they are withdrawing from religion classes is increasing. However, this is not a mass phenomenon.
Andrzej Leśniewski, principal of the Electronics Schools Complex in Bolesławiec:
In the first-year classes, fewer students are indeed declaring that they will attend religion classes. In the other classes, the number remains at a similar level.
At our school, this is certainly not a mass or popular phenomenon, although if we take the statistics into account, fewer children definitely attend religion classes each year. But we have divisions in which nearly 100 percent of students attend religion classes.
Wiesław Stefanik, principal of the Trade and Services Schools Complex in Bolesławiec:
There is indeed such a trend; it has been growing for several years. However, there was no radical change this year. We do not yet have complete statistical data to compare the situation with previous years.
This year we have three priests at the school. They are passionate about their work and create a nice atmosphere during classes. I hope that the majority of students will declare their participation in religion classes.
Despite our efforts, information from the Mechanical Schools Complex and the Second General Secondary School has not reached us so far, for various reasons.
(As we have managed to establish, primary schools are not affected by this problem).
What do you think? We invite you to discuss it.