For centuries, Slovenia was culturally and religiously dominated by the Roman Catholic Church, which permeated all spheres of individual and social life, including education. As modern societies became separate of Church, education was no longer in the hands of the Church, but of the State. Gradually, secular education was introduced, which insists on the value and ideological neutrality of its content. Public school space must be ideologically neutral, which means that it is the same for all participants, regardless of the diversity of social or cultural backgrounds. Accordingly, all subjects are taught in a non-denominational manner. The profound social and cultural changes in the second half of the 20th century have triggered an accelerated process of globalisation, technological progress and migration. All these processes make this type of teaching a challenge for growing plural societies, such as Slovenia. Slovenian society has historically been a monoculture, with the Roman Catholic Church having a major influence. The processes of modernisation, secularisation and globalisation that have characterised the 20th and 21st centuries have brought religious pluralism. The spread of religious literacy in a society where there are genuine differences in attitudes, values and practices is essential for a peaceful and tolerant dialogue between cultures and religions. Thus, it is necessary to find an appropriate way of transmitting knowledge about religions to the younger generations, which is brought about by teaching from and about religions. The sociological classic Émile Durkheim already pointed out, that the school is a model of the social system. It teaches how society functions and sets an example for social participation. Religious education is therefore essential and necessary for children, because it is the same for all and differs in this respect from family education and learning. In school, content is conveyed in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner, and this is exactly how knowledge about religion supposed to be conveyed.
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