“Fundamentals of Orthodoxy” taught to over eighty percent of school students in Moscow region

The majority of fourth graders’ parents of Moscow region schools choose the “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture” course for their children.

“When students start fourth grade their parents write a statement choosing a subject for them: ‘The Fundamentals of Secular Ethics’ or ‘The Fundamentals of Religious Knowledge.’ Over eighty percent in our region choose ‘The Fundamentals of Religious Knowledge,’” the Minister of Education of the Moscow region Marina Zakharova reported to journalists on Wednesday.

According to the press service of the Moscow regional Ministry of Education, Orthodoxy is taught in the Moscow region within the framework of “The Fundamentals of Religious Culture” course.

“Relatively few Muslims and Jews reside in the Moscow region so most of our parents choose Orthodoxy, as opposed to the Republic of Tatarstan where the majority choose Islam. But if some children of our region do come from the Muslim culture, they still can choose the subject ‘Fundamentals of Orthodoxy’ because it is a cultural course, not a religious one,” said the agency’s spokeswoman.

Source: Pravoslavie.ru