Romania debates religion's role in schools

By Marius Zaharia

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The school priest wanted to convert Andrei to Romania's Orthodox Christianity, because his school could not hire a teacher for religion classes for the 12-year-old Adventist.

"Some of my classmates push me outside the door before their religion class, others ask me why am I not Orthodox, the same way the priest had asked my parents," said Andrei.

"God helps me forgive them, but I don't like these jokes," said the boy, who did not give his last name, fearing problems at his school near Bucharest's city centre.

Students like Andrei from minority religions hope planned education reforms, meant to modernize curricula and overhaul religious instruction, will help them feel more welcome in this Black Sea state.

But in recent months, the powerful Orthodox Church has put pressure on the government to water down these reforms, seen by many observers as a litmus test of the European Union member's efforts to combat religious, sexual and ethnic discrimination.

Around 90 percent of the population belong to the Orthodox Church and three-quarters say they trust it, making it Romania's most popular institution. Only one in five people trusts parliament, which has been tainted by corruption scandals.

As parliament prepares to debate the education reforms -- expected before elections in November -- non governmental organizations are pressing for substantial changes, but they face opposition from the influential clergy.

"Religious education here indoctrinates, fuelling prejudice against other faiths and against sexual minorities," said Smaranda Enache, co-president of human rights group Liga Pro-Europa.

"But it's more than this. Teaching children to discriminate against something builds a national mentality and in the end people reject differences and discriminate against everything."

MINORITY RIGHTS

In a report on religious freedoms published last year, the U.S. State Department said minority religious groups had "credibly asserted that authorities pressured children of other faiths to attend classes of Orthodox religion".

The education reforms initially proposed introducing alternatives to religion classes. They also said all religious symbols should be placed in schools, not just Orthodox icons, as is the case now in most schools.

Atheists would also be allowed to refuse religious education without parental permission if over 16 years old. At the moment, parental permission is required.

But after a public debate and meetings with clergy, the initial idea of alternatives to religious classes was dropped.

The education ministry denied it had bowed to any pressure and defended the content of religious classes.