Since the establishment of the modern Greek state in the 19th century, education seems to be imbued with the Orthodox religion. This is proven, among others, by the morning prayer which is held in the school courtyard.
But how does this strong presence of the Orthodox element in the Greek school come about? Is it related to the position of the "dominant" religion in the Constitution and its application in Greek education?
Written by the author Eleni Kalesis (book "Secularism in Greek school textbooks")
Orthodoxy in the Constitution
The appeal to the Orthodox faith appears in the Greek Constitution as early as in its preamble "In the name of the Holy and Co-Mous and Undivided Trinity" and is complemented by Article 3, which recognizes the religion of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ as " prevailing religion' of the State. According to article 16 of the Greek Constitution, religious education is considered an obligation of Greek education.
The general reference of the second paragraph to the development of religious consciousness as one of the purposes of education does not seem to define the means of this development nor to identify it with a specific faith. Rather, it appears to allow the respective legislature to determine the details of the provision.
However, Law 1566/1985 clarifies that "The purpose of primary and secondary education is for students [...] to become free and [...] to be possessed by the genuine elements of the Orthodox Christian tradition" at the same time as it ensures the inviolability of the religious of conscience: "Their freedom of religious conscience is inviolable"!
Furthermore, the decision 3533/1986 of the Council of State states that since the majority of Greek students are Christian Orthodox and the development of religious consciousness is one of the goals of education, they must follow the principles of the Orthodox religion throughout their education. of their school life, such as participating in morning prayer. In fact, since 1977, the circulars and the P.D. 201 that have been published define the obligatory character of prayer for all students and teachers, giving the right of exemption to non-Orthodox students upon written request of their parents.
Students exempt from prayer are, however, required to "respect their classmates and observe absolute silence" if they arrive at school before morning prayer. On the other hand, teachers, Orthodox and non-Orthodox, are forced to be present during the daily prayer to supervise their class.
It seems, therefore, that the nature of these legislative provisions opposes and violates articles of European conventions, such as article 2 of the Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights (right to education) which states that: "Every State in the exercise of the duties undertaken under of this duty in the field of education and training will respect the right of parents to ensure education and training in accordance with their own religious and philosophical beliefs" (p. 38).
Taking into account all the above elements, the result is an inevitable conflict between the right of parents to choose the type of education of their children according to their personal beliefs and the state's mission to develop religious consciousness in children.
Some jurists do not share the same view: Prodromos Dagtoglou argues that the conflict between the protection of fundamental rights and the dominance of orthodoxy in the school environment is avoided through constitutional article 13 on freedom of religious conscience and the possibility of exemption from all school religious events upon request. However, the practice of the exemption is causing a lot of backlash, as some, like Chrysogonos, talk about stigmatization and discriminatory treatment of students who have different beliefs, while others argue that the exemption does not violate the right to religious freedom and the students themselves.
Religion & education: The modern and the traditional interpretation
The position of the prevailing religion in the Greek Constitution and its institutions is the "bone of contention" in the world of lawyers. The opinions that have been expressed about his role in the "religious development of the Greeks" differ, creating intense polarization. Some experts give orthodoxy a traditional character, while others insist on its more modern interpretation.
Sotirelis introduces the first traditional view about orthodoxy and its one-dimensional and manipulative character in religious education. It puts forward the argument of its privileged position in honor of the "critical role" it played in the formation of the Greek identity. Thus, the Orthodox faith and Hellenism are presented as an inseparable entity, known as "Greek-Christian culture".
The Orthodox Church assumes the protective role of this culture and, therefore, its doctrine is the only object of religious education for Greek students.
The modern interpretation is based on the declarative nature of the prevailing religion as the religion of the vast majority of the Greek people. In the same line, Dagtoglu states that the protection of the Orthodox religion has historical significance, which indicates the anti-religious character of the State, without of course abandoning its religious neutrality.
On this basis, the privileges attributed to orthodoxy are justified. Furthermore, Fundedakis argues that the prevailing religion of Greece it is not recognized as an official or state religion, such as the Anglican Church or the Danish Lutheran Church.
Although article 13 of the Greek Constitution guarantees the freedom of religious conscience for "every known religion", as well as the enjoyment of individual and political rights regardless of the religious beliefs of the citizens, it is understood that the "dominant" religion of the State, with the traditional or its modern interpretation, maintains its indisputable supremacy through the implementation of the morning obligatory prayer in the Greek school.
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Secularism in Greek school textbooks
From the accession to the European Community, until the 21st century