The Politics of Religious Education in Poland After 1990

Abstract

The aim of the chapter is to give an overview of religious education (RE) in Poland with particular emphasis on its political context. General provisions regarding RE are laid down by the Constitution and touched upon by the numerous regulations (the Education Act, the Ordinance of the Minister of National Education, etc.), which will be analysed in the chapter. All religious organisations officially recognised by the state have the right to organise RE in schools and kindergartens under certain conditions (e.g., the minimum number of pupils and the need to organise an alternative subject) that result in numerous controversies which will be discussed in the chapter, especially in relation to the differences between the dominant Roman Catholic Church and minority denominations. The reintroduction of RE to state schools still arouses diverse reactions, which will be discussed on the basis of the recent opinion polls.