The teachers’ union believes the religion syllabus should no longer be in the hands of the Church. Photo: Jason Borg

The Church was in “regular contact” with the education authorities when drawing up the religious syllabus it was entrusted with following the 1989 Church-government agreement, the Curia said.

It was reacting to comments by Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello who said it was “scandalous” that the religion syllabus was controlled by the Curia and not by the government, which drew up the syllabi of all other subjects.

The Curia noted that the 1989 historic agreement that was signed between the Church and the government laid down that: “The teaching of the Catholic religion must be in conformity with the doctrine of the Church, following the syllabi and methods established by the Maltese Episcopal Conference, to which belongs also the right to draw up or select the students’ textbooks and the teachers’ guide.”

Clearly, it said, the responsibility was placed on the Maltese Episcopal Conference and was not “in the Curia’s hands”.

The competent authorities are prepared to listen with an open mind

Members of the Church Secretariat for Catechesis were in regular contact with the education authorities to continue improving on the curricula and the materials offered to Maltese students of religion, the Curia insisted.

“It is acceptable and most welcome that interested persons and organisations, like the MUT, made well-thought and concrete suggestions. The competent authorities are prepared to listen with an open mind in the best interest of the student,” the Curia said.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Mr Bonello said the union had long been insisting it did not make sense that the Curia dictated the religious syllabus. This had to change because a subject’s syllabus should be drawn up by academics and experts who understood the evolving needs of children, he said.

Mr Bonello said the union felt there was need for a revision of the curriculum in primary schools to make space for skills children needed in life, such as research and entrepreneurship.

But for that to be possible, the time had to be taken from other subjects. He gave the example of the “vast” religion syllabus that included an array of details he felt were irrelevant to children in today’s world.

“I’m not talking about the principles but about details such as [which prophet] crossed which desert.... That can be studied if the student chooses to at secondary level,” Mr Bonello said, stressing he was not saying religion should be removed.

On a different note, he said the union was having talks with Church schools to amend “outdated clauses” but was not getting much cooperation.

For example, he said, the MUT was suggesting a central recruitment system rather than different ones for different schools.