In all Russian educational institutions four years ago, the history of the existence of ORKSE began. The decoding of the name gives an idea of the subject area of this course. The new subject is called "Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics." The course caused a wide resonance in the media. However, the pilot implementation of the program demonstrated the legitimacy of its introduction. The study is carried out on the basis of Russian legislation, and therefore there should be no fears related to the innovation.
In accordance with Russian laws, which became the basis for a new subject, the development of one of the parts of the ORKSE (decoding of the name of the subject is presented above) by minors is based on the will of his parents. According to the authors of the program, innovation is not intended to study religion. Religious studies can only be taught in organizations that are legal entities in accordance with the results of state registration.
General Provisions
The foundations of religious cultures and secular ethics are oriented towards the development of behavior among minors that would be based on the norms of morality accepted in Russian society, on the realization of the presence of representatives of a large number of nationalities on the territory of the state, and respect for the traditions of various ethnic groups.
The tasks stated:
1. General acquaintance of students with some world religions or secular ethics (optional).
2. Acquaintance of students with basic moral standards and values.
3. Synthesis of moral, cultural and spiritual knowledge that students already have.
4. Formation of the ability to conduct an equal conversation based on mutual trust and respect.
Thematic parts of the course
The ORKSE course (decoding of the abbreviation, we repeat, is placed at the beginning of the article) is divided into several separate parts. Parents have the legal right to choose any module at will or based on their religious beliefs. As practice shows, in most Russian schools the bulk of students and their parents (more than 40%) prefer the foundations of secular ethics. In second place is the study of the foundations of Orthodoxy (30%). In most cases, minors receive religious instruction at home or at Sunday schools.
Program
The ORKSE program is designed for students in fourth grade. In total, fourth-graders are given thirty-four hours to study this course. Some educational organizations divide this course into two parts: the first is taught in the second half of the fourth grade, the second - the next year. In this case, the number of hours is divided in two.
During the lessons, students will get to know some moral categories: honor, dignity, friendship, conscience, justice, and learn to respect other people who are different from them.
Teaching Features
Teaching ORKSE can be carried out by teachers who have been trained in special educational programs and have the appropriate certificates in their hands. As a rule, teachers of humanitarian disciplines and elementary schools are entrusted with teaching this course, as they are familiar with some aspects of studying cultural and moral topics. In some cases, representatives of religious organizations who are trusted and respected by the public and administration are invited to study individual modules of the course.
ORKSE (deciphering the name of the course gives this concept) requires the teacher to recognize the role of the teacher in the learning process, the appropriate level of knowledge of the material, the ability to work with younger students and the possession of high moral qualities.
The innovation did not immediately find support among the Russian population. To many, this initiative seemed redundant. Teachers who were to teach this course complained about heavy workload, and the introduction of a new subject could become another heavy burden. Parents were afraid that under the guise of a secular subject, their children would be encouraged to follow religious norms. However, today these fears are left behind, and children are happy to study this course. The creators of textbooks and workbooks made a lot of efforts to interest students and diversify the learning process.