867 exempted from attending religion classes

@Gerald Xuereb - Give me one, ONE single commandment which people are infringing when not learning about religion in a school.

@Galea. L - I don't remember Christ telling us to dictate, word by word, his words to children for them to get a less miserable life. Getting an A+ in Religion doesn't make you a Catholic. Likewise, there are Catholics which keep failing at an exam, written by another human.
May I remind you all that what is taught at school IS NOT what Christ said, but rather what a particular person (aka Education Department) WANT US to learn.

The rest of arguments remind me in a quote:
"Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. "

Kurt Mifsud
May God show you his light and Grace. A certain Sawl way back use to think the same way but history showed us that he become one of Jesus followers.
You are very lucky that you live in country were you can express yourself but I can assure you that you will not impose us your belief.
I will pray for you and for those who think like you

Kurt Mifsud
L-ebda trattat u l-ebda dittatur barrani ma se jirnexxilu bl-ghajnuna tal-ateji Maltin jeqred il-kurcifissi u simboli religjuzi ohra mill-klassijiet taghna. Imbaghad naraw. Jirnexxilkom daqs kemm irnexxilhom it-Torok, it-Taljani u l-Germanizi. Min ma joghgbux ma jharisx. Kemm qed idejjeqkom kurcifiss? Jew qed thossu l-kuxjenza tniggiskom kull meta tarawh?

@Lino Camilleri

Kien ghallliem tar-religjon li lili ipprova jirrovinali l-istudji tieghi. U ikkumpara ma pajjizi ahjar minnha. L-ahhar haga, taghllimhom mill-origini tar-religjon kattolika jigifieri r-religjon egizzjana? Taghllimhom fuq l-inkwizizjoni? Urejthom Zeitgeist jew ghamilt bhal ghalliema ohra u mort turihom The Passion of the Christ kollu vjolenza biex timpressjonahom?

@Ivan Galea

La jidhol fis-sehh it-trattat ta Lisbona siehbi, jien ha nkun hawn narak tibla kliemek. Jien ha nkun hawn nara l-maggoranza ta l-EU tikkmanda gzira daqs naqra. U m'ghandix cans xiex? Sakemm jaslu uliedi inkun sibt it-triq imwittija.

Tahsbu billi twarrbu lil Alla u lil religion ha twaqqfu mit-tingix tal-kuxjenza taghkom? Indmu u inkonvertu u isibu il vera paci!

I totally agree with Mr Lino Camilleri.
Thos e who are against our Religion(Roman Catholic) at least have their right not to attend for these religion classes. Those who are offended by the Cross maybe can look at example for a "person" who preaced only peace and for this he was put to death on a cross. They should learn that they are doing the same when passing judgement aganst Roman Catholics. We don't want to offend anybody but we want to demonstrate our faith in God. If you still offended than would you make a petition to remove the George cross from the Maltese flag, tell the Knights to remove the eight point cross or to remove the islamic symbol fromTurkey's flag. Maybe another suggestion is to infromo your employer that you are offended not to work on those public holiday which are comemorating a religious event and thus you should attend to work.

Wait a sec. So I am Maltese, brought up Roman Catholic, went to church school, got baptised, holy comunion confirmation and got married in the Roman Catholic way. Along the way I opened my eyes and I now consider myself an atheist. My wife is Roman Catholic (practicing) and I just had a child. I do not intend to baptise my child and it will be my child's choice and when old enough to know what to beleive or not my child will take the decision of being baptised or not.

It should be noted that either we stop the Roman Catholic lessons at school and intensify the MUSEUM classes or vice versa. i would be more happy if my child had an open mind about all religions and not branding them as soon as they are born. A child is a child and he/she will beleive whatever they are told, whether beleived to be true or not. let our children make there own choices without being looked down on just because they are given the right to think for themselves. Passive intolerance is dangerous.

While some of the comments are vaild, I believe that religion/Roman Catholic classes should still be thought, but not examined.

May I ask, I believe that the Jewish and Muslim holy day is Friday (just like our Sunday), do these children attend school on these days?

In religion apart from history you learn good values. Example
1) Killing is wrong
2) Stealing is wrong
etc..

You also learn the good way of life ... such as when Jesus asked anyone who never sinned to throw the first stone.

Who will teach our future children these values, if they will not learn religion anymore?

It is one thing to actually study the subject religion, and learn about all the global religions with an open mind and another thing to "brainwash" students.
Do Maltese schools teach the students all religions, and do they spend equal time with each religion?
Do Maltese schools bring up all the less flattering parts of the roman catholic church?
Is there open discussions in the classrooms where the students have the right to question different aspects of all religions?
Do the Maltese schools accept that a student might not beleive in God, and is that within his right without being punished?

@Joseph Cachia: No, they are in disagreement with YOUR Roman Catholic Religion classes in OUR Maltese schools.

I was born in Malta and I can't believe my own Country is doing this. Religion was always inportant to us and are children and grand children and whoever started this is sure going to pay for it. It is a shame what is going on in this world. In God we Trust and he will be there for ever. Do not ask him any favors when you need him because it does not work that way. Shame on those people that are doing this

To Whom It May Concern: If you don’t like what you see in the classroom that is too bad. If you are offended that’s too bad, BUT THE CROSS SHELL STAY, shame on you all. Is this how you repay the image of God and thank him each morning, he never asked to be paid for medicine for curing and making the blind see and the limp walk.

Kurt Mifsud
M'ghandekx cans.
il-minoranza mhux se tikkmanda lill-maggoranza lanqas jekk iggibu kemm iggibu sentenzi tal-Qrati ateji.
Jekk ma joghgbokx tharisx lejgh.
Kemm tibza li jkun hemm kurcifiss fi klassi?
Jekk ma temminx m'ghandux idejqek.

Andre Vella, Bertie O'Cassey
The religion of the vast majority of Maltese citizens is Catholic and that is what students should be instructed in. Others can have their instructions in schools belonging to their religion.

Constitution of Malta
Article 2.
(1) The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion.
(2) The authorities of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church have the duty and the right to teach which principles are right and which are wrong.
(3) Religious teaching of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Faith shall be provided in all State schools as part of compulsory education.

Minorities cannot impose their will on the vast majority of Maltese citizens who are Roman Catholic.

@Joseph Cachia
"To all who are commenting and are in disagreement with our ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION
CLASSES in OUR MALTESE SCHOOLS just move out of MALTA or else sit there and LEARN.
Any other foreign schools in MALTA either they comply with our rules or move out."
A Typical Example of Roman Catholic Tolerance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is why I beleive in God but not in the Catholic Church.

What are the students exempt from religion classes doing while the rest of the class is doing their religion lesson? Is it a free lesson for them where they are having another break? How are we going to pass to these kids morality lessons? Why not have morality lessons?

@ Kurt Mifsud
Habib, bhala ghalliem tar-Religjon niggarantilek li illum it-taghlim ta' dan is-suggett inbidel hafna ghax sar iktar rilevanti ghal zminijietna. Nissuggerilek thares ftit lejn is-sillabu, specjalment tas-Sekondarja. Dejjem jifdal xi jista jsir ahjar specjalment issa li dalwaqt jerga jinbidel is-sillabu!!!
Nixtieq insaqsik x'kien isir minnek kieku inti ipprotestajt ghax f'xi skola islamika jew lhudija (jew ta' xi Religjon ohra) barra minn Malta, hemm ix-xbihat tal-koran jew tal-memorah!!!!
Fl-ahharnett, tista' tghidilna x'offiza qed joffrilek il-Kurcifiss go klassi? X'naghmlu issa mela, nghidu lill- Imam jieqaf ifahhar lil Alla filghodu fil-Moskea, ghax forsi lili jista jtini fastidju!!!
Kulhadd ghandu dritt ihaddan l-fidi tieghu!! Kemm jekk Kattoliku u kemm jekk le.
It-tnehhija tal-kurcifiss qaddis huwa censura moderna ta' dak li jien inhaddan u tal-fidi li sawwret l-imgieba, il-kultura u t-tradizzjoni taghna l-Maltin

Nirringrazja lil l'Alla li ma' ghadniex noqod Malta ax spiccat. Jien kburi li Malti u kburi li nisrani. Malta maghdiex tal Maltin izda saret tal-barranin. X'hasra.

All parents can decide their child does not attend religious lessons. THere is no discrimination on that base.
I don't know how things are now, but when I was in Year 6, I remember some kids not attending religion lessons. THey were stigmatised becaus they were 'Tal Gehovah, jew 'Tas-Setta kif kienu jsibuhom.

@Deo Catania, Miguel Micallef
If you aren't even able to distinguish between religion and nationality, I think it's you who didn't attend social studies classes. Not even the basics

@kurt mifsud
Ghaliex din il-hegga kollha biex tehles mil-kurcifiss min mal-hajt?
jekk ma teminx bih suppost li ma jfisser xejn ghalik u taf tinjorah.Izda la darba qieghed daqsek fuq qalbek jfisser li temen bih bhal hafna nies ohra imma jbazak quddiem ghajnejk u tixtiequ fejn ma tiftakarx fih.
grazzi

I suggest that since these students mentioned by the minister are exempt from religious lessons and since they don't sit for this exam for their lyceum entrance examination then all pupils should be exempt from these classes and this should be removed from the lyceum entrance exam for all. This will eliminate any exam discrimination between pupils.

Reading through the blogs underneath shows how rash people are to jump to conclusions without having the faintest inkling of how things stand. They seem to be completely unaware of what our constitution states, are not in line with the latest reforms in educational assessment, cannot distinguish between catechism and religion lessons and are completely ignorant of the contents of the syllabus.

Gheziez huti nsara, tinsewx x'qal Kristu, min m'ghandux dnub iwaddab l-ewwel gebla u tigudikawx u ma tkunux igudikati.

Poggi din quddiem ghajnejkom qabel tikumentaw pls

@ joseph cachia

exceptionally catholic of you to suggest that those who are not roman catholic should move out or sit there and learn. someone once said "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF" ...remember ?

@Joseph Cachia - So you're saying that my kids, Maltese born Christians with a Maltese father, should leave their country because like MANY other Maltese they're not Catholic; I do think that it's time that the authorities start looking at comments like yours and investigate them and investigate people like you who make these kind of comments because you're very much a danger to our society.
@Deo Catania - my kids are part of these children exempted from religion and YES they are Maltese. Are you surprised?
And who said that the dark ages are over?

Joseph Cachia: you kind of thinking matters less and less every day and there is nothing you can do about it.

Kien hawn kazi fejn il-genituri jaghmlu ittra lill-kap tal-iskola biex it-tifel/tifla jigu ezentati mil-lezzjonijiet tar-religion mill-year 5 u year 6 biex imbaghad la jaghmlu l-ezamijiet tal-iskola u wkoll ma jaghmlux l-ezami tar-religion tal-Junior Lyceum. Imbaghad fl-istess hin it-tfal ikunu jattendu il-muzew jew duttrina u anki ghamlu l-grizma tal-Isqof fil-year 6. B'sempliciment ittra minghand il-genituri li l-familja ma tippratikax ir-religjon kattolika, tkun ezentata minn dawn l-ezamijiet. Tal-misthija!

If everyone reasoned like Joseph Cachia, and many still do, the world would still be in the dark ages. Maybe it's because these people still want a theocratic form of government, where you either worship our god or get the hell out. They might as well put up a slogan on our way out saying 'Enjoy hell!'.

This unwillingness to accept the fact that not every Maltese person on this lovely island is Catholic is getting annoying and borders discrimination. Keep your god to yourself, don't bother me. If you insist on bothering me, try to refrain from exiling me from the island.


We're in 2009 people, we should have moved a little beyond this frame of mind by now.

-DG

seeing as religious classes in malta are not religious classes but catholic brainwashing classes well done to the kids not attending..if they were real religion classes tellig you about all religions and athieism equally then that would be acceptable and interesting..they dont even tell you how much harm,wars,murder the church commited

The Statistics to not mean anything to me. I would want to know how many of those exempted.are from a Roman Catholic family, the number of those from other denominations, and those from an agnostic background. Again, I agree that to be more Catholic we do not need Catholic teaching rammed down our throats. Teaching has to start from the parents (or parent) and go beyond the MUSEUM classes and Sunday Mass. Roman Catholic teaching at school. O.K.., but let those children whose parents do not want them to learn religion opt out.
I would like to see more of our children receiving a religious (Bible?) book as present for their 1st Holy Communion, and not a mobile phone.

@ G. Fenech,

Right they don’t sit for the brainwashing religion class (as you call it ), so in the evening or on the weekend they can sit through a brainwashing Muslim or some other religion class.

@Joseph Cachia:
Oh how right you are! Our children MUST all be raised and thought how to be honest, charitable, love thy neighbout type of Catholic.
Just like you in fact!

@Joseph Cachia

X'naghmel siehbi? Jiddispjacini nghidlek imma jien hawn ha nibqa ghax dan pajjizi mhux pajjizek. U uliedi MHUX se jidhlu ghal lesson tar-religion ghax dak mhux "sit and learn". Jekk tiftakar kien ir-religion "sit u sir pappagall" u ara tiehu zball f'xi kelma ghax innaqsulek il-marki anke jekk is-sens tas-sentenza ikun l-istess.

Dik mhux lezzjoni tar-religion. Kieku lezzjoni tar-religion kieku titghallem fuq general knowledge ta kull religjon u l-lezzjoni tkun hafna isbah. Kieku tmur go skola tal-knisja iva jaghmlu li jridu imma skola tal-gvern hija ta kulhad, kemm kattolici u kemm le. Informa ruhek ghax sa ftit snin ohra ir-religion irid jinqata mill-iskejjel. Ma temminx? Stenna u ara

U la r-religion tista tigi exempt minnu ghax go skola tal-gvern, bl-istess mod genitur jista jitlob li jinqala l-kurcifiss minn mal-hajt, basta skola tal-gvern. Ma temminx lanqas din? Stenna u ara nerga nghidlek.

@ Joseph Cachia

Roman Catholic Religion is your religion not mine and I am Maltese like you, so please first learn to respect other people's choices. The more people like you comment in this style the more you make an argument against Roman Catholic Religion. The time of the Inquisition ended a long time ago

@ Maria Camilleri Calleja: Please do not blame non-Catholic Maltese residents for not being Catholic. Blame the educational system which only recognizes Catholic religion as an acedemic 'pass.' One day we will look back and laugh at this.

@Maria Camilleri Calleja - Hey now, that's interesting. So you recon students had less stress before, just because everyone had to attend to religious classes? Without getting into the details, it is more then fair, Catholic students simply have a new way of showing their faith, by studying.

@A.Cachia - I guess Deo believes (or tries to) all Maltese are Catholics. The same myth which explains why people keep suggesting (albeit agressively) non-Catholics to get off the island.

@Bertie O'Cassey - Agreed! Someone mentioned that in 5 years' time, only 4 pages' worth of religous material other then Catholic is taught, this person hit the nail right on.

Regards,
Christian Sciberras.

Unfortunately our children are being discriminated against. In a certain school a student only sat for her English and Maths exams and she was promoted to Year..............6A. The reason for this - she does not understand Maltese so she doesn't sit for Maltese, Religion and Social Studies. Other children that did sit for more exams and did not do well in say Maltese were at a disadvantage when compared to her and were penalised.

So who is being discriminated against now ??

This is also valid for those pupils who get help during their exams, i.e. the exam paper is read out to them / words are written for them / etc. These pupils have a big advantage over the others who do not get any help. When you see a child who gets a lot of his work wrong in class and then does very well during his exams when being helped......well it makes you think. And before anyone comments on the contrary, I have experienced this as a helper for these exams for about 7 years so I think I know what I'm talking about.

To all who are commenting and are in disagreement with our ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION
CLASSES in OUR MALTESE SCHOOLS just move out of MALTA or else sit there and LEARN.
Any other foreign schools in MALTA either they comply with our rules or move out.

This exemption evidences that Maltese parents are FREE to decide whether their children are exposed to moral lessons or not. Both foreigners AND Maltese may equally avail of this right. If Catholic parents feel that an "extra" religion exam undermines the child's performance, I suggest they take advantage of this EQUAL right!

FREE and EQUAL right !

@Deo Catania:
Why is that relevant? Or do you believe there cannot possibly be any Maltese students in that figure? Or maybe you're worried that there are?
Either way, your thought processes speak volumes.

I am sorry but these are not Religion Classes but Roman Catholic Classes.

Religion classes would imply that the students will learn about all the different religions.

Nationality is redundant. You need to ask why the children are exempted from attending religion classes?
Is it because they belong to another religion which is not Christianity?
If that's the case, instead of exempting children, change the curriculum to include every major religion and dedicate equal (emphasis on equal) lessons to each.

Remeber that the subject is "Religion", and not "Religion of Malta".

What does nationality have to do with religion ??! There are Christian Chinese , Muslim French and a Jewish Maltese...

More importantly, can Maltese citizens be exempted too? Or is it a discriminatory practice against the citizens?

@ Deo Catania

Whats it your business asking what nationality these students are ??? Religion is personal and no one is obliged to be catholic.

Were these also exempt from sitting at their Religion exam for the Junior Lyceum and Common Entrance examinations ? Are we going to continue accepting a system where Catholic children are penalized with more stress and more study because they have no 'excuse' to drop the religion class at school ?

Does it matter what nationality the students are? I'm just glad to see that if people don't want to sit through the brainwashing - that is religion classes - they actually have the option to!

Good for them, and i hope this clearly indicates that people have a choice when it comes to beliefs, even if some document somewhere states that we are a Catholic country.

What nationality are these students?