“The monopoly of the churches on denominational instruction that still exists in most federal states must be complemented by ideological instruction in which children and young people from non-denominational and humanistic families can deepen and reflect on their ethical and moral foundations.”
This is what the Humanist Association of Germany (HVD) demands in a resolution passed last weekend in Berlin, which calls for the introduction of humanist life studies as a school subject in all federal states. More than 60 delegates from twelve federal states met in Berlin on Saturday to discuss the focal points of the work in the coming years. Humanistic Life Skills is recognized as a school subject in Berlin, Brandenburg and Bavaria. Around 60,000 pupils will take part in the lessons from the new school year. The resolution also states that state ethics lessons are supported as a compulsory subject for all pupils. However, this could not replace life skills lessons. As the Basic Law stipulates religious education as a school subject, ideology lessons must also be permitted. “This is required by the constitutionally prescribed equal treatment of religious and ideological communities.” The foundations of life skills lessons are knowledge about nature and society as well as rules of life based on secular-humanist traditions. The focus is on responsibility, self-determination and tolerance. Life skills are based on the experiences, feelings and thoughts of the pupils. Their desire to experience the environment and themselves, as well as their questions about the meaning of life, shape the lessons. Life skills build on the knowledge acquired in other subjects. Pupils are encouraged to think about themselves and the world and to develop points of view from a non-religious, humanistic perspective. They also learn about the ideas of other religions and world views that they encounter in everyday life or that are significant worldwide.
Further information:
Ethics lessons and humanistic life skills: How do they differ from traditional religious education? Continue reading at www.diesseits.de/node/4023 You can find out more about the school subject Humanistic Life Studies at www.lebenskunde.de
Your contact for questions:
Werner Schultz, Head of Education at the Humanist Association Berlin-Brandenburg. Contact: w.schultz@hvd-bb.de, 030 613 904 60
Are you interested in life skills lessons?
If you would like the subject to be taught in your state or at your school, please contact us! Contact: hvd@humanismus.de, 030 613 904 34
