Church resisting changes to classes

The Church of Greece is keeping up the pressure on the Education Ministry not to make major changes to religion classes in schools and to ensure the subject remains compulsory for all pupils.

In a statement Thursday, the Church’s governing body indicated that it is against a pilot scheme currently being implemented in senior high schools that has transformed the subject into a religious studies course that also teaches pupils about other religions.

The Holy Synod insisted that Orthodox Christianity, “which is followed by the majority of Greek citizens,” should remain the main focus of the classes and that textbooks should be updated to include some material on other religions.