A three-year pilot program has begun in the Netherlands to teach Orthodoxy in the school system for children aged 6 to 12. This opportunity exists because Orthodox Christianity is officially recognized as the eighth national religion in the Netherlands, which also gives Orthodox believers access to religious education and support in schools, the army and prisons.
Wherever parents register their children and there are trained teachers available, a class on Orthodox Christianity can be organized. The project starts in the 2025-2026 school year, but for this to happen, there must be at least three students in the same school who express a desire to participate, and the principal must contact the Center for Formative Education (Het Centrum voor Vormingsonderwijs), which mediates relations between schools, the Ministry of Education and officially recognized religions.
The Orthodox Christian religion class is held once a week, for 45 minutes, during school hours. Students belonging to other denominations can also attend.
A special Orthodox organization – Orthodoxe Zendende Instantie – is responsible for the accreditation of teachers who wish to teach Orthodox religious education in Dutch schools.
Candidates must hold a diploma from an Orthodox theological faculty and have completed a psychological-pedagogical module (level I), have a certificate of proficiency in Dutch (minimum level B2) and have at least two years of teaching experience. Participation in a special training course is also required.
At the last meeting of representatives of all Orthodox churches in the Netherlands, held in early November under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Athenagoras, Metropolitan of Belgium and Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Ecumenical Patriarchate), the first concrete steps for organizing religion classes in primary schools were agreed. It was stated that they need to be promoted in parishes and that sample lessons should be organized in churches so that parents can get an idea of how the classes will be conducted and what their children will learn.
According to data on the official platform, there are currently only two accredited teachers (here) – an insufficient number to cover the demand at the national level.
It is planned to create a pedagogical commission to develop a methodology and coordinate the process of selecting teachers.
The introduction of the Orthodox Christian religion class in schools in the Netherlands was recently welcomed by the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in Benelux, which praised the “favorable development in this area” and stressed the importance of cooperation between the Church and educational institutions.
Representatives of the local Orthodox churches in the Netherlands report that much work remains to be done to reach parents with this idea and convince them of its benefits. Father Ion Juga, representative of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis for Western and Southern Europe on the Consultative Council of Orthodox Churches in the Netherlands, told the Romanian Patriarchate’s website Basilica.ro: “Along with the joy of this good start, we also realized the challenges inherent in any innovative activity. A lot of information will be needed at the parish level – from finding and training teaching staff to developing an adapted methodology, but above all, awareness will be required on the part of parents and children of the need for this religion class.”
Speaking about the current social stagnation, the priest noted: “Our Christians often accuse Dutch society of secularization, freedom, atheism, but many times the accusation becomes an excuse to allow ourselves to be tempted by the same things. That is why the religion class calls for a conscious choice. For them, it can become a barometer of their own spiritual values in a world where people increasingly need authentic points of reference,” the priest adds.
The Netherlands is among the countries with a relatively low level of religiosity of the population. A survey back in 1989 showed that only 49% of the country’s citizens were religious. However, in the Netherlands, among permanent residents or immigrants who have acquired citizenship, a large percentage are Muslims, as well as Christians of other nationalities, and in these communities religiosity is much higher.
For more details: www.orthodoxopschool.nl.
