Models of Government Regulations of the Religious Component in General Education: Russian and International Practices

The study aims at defining the characteristics of an optimal model of government regulation of religion in general comprehensive education which should be an integral part of a modern secular state. In order to do so, the authors carried out content analysis of the focal doctrinal developments and the common practices in the Russian Federation and several other secular countries, as well as international court practice. The study focuses on the most contentious aspects of the issue and employs the following methods of scientific knowledge: general scientific methods (dialectical and systematic methods, formal logic, analysis, synthesis) and special/ad hoc methods (technical, comparative law, statistical, interpreting the law). The article presents the findings of the study that analyses contemporary models of government regulations of the religious component in education within the framework of core activities in comprehensive state and municipal schools in Russia and abroad. The choice of the topic can be attributed to the contradiction between the accepted secular nature of the majority of democratic states supporting the freedom of conscience and religion and the variety of rather controversial approaches to government regulation of the religious aspect of education, the basis of which is reflected in the system of general education. The study proves that a state that claims to be secular needs a systematic and balanced approach to regulation of religious studies in the system of general education which is, essentially, the foundation of a person's mindset formation. In this context, a classification of religious education forms is considered; in it, it is the non-confessional form that is defined as most preferable for a modern secular state. Taking this into account, the study is focused on legislative and law-enforcement practices in the Russian Federation concerning implementation of the religious component in the system of general education, both on state and regional levels. The main debating points in this area are as follows: how much of the religious component is acceptable in a comprehensive curriculum; how educational institutions may cooperate with religious organisations; why religious paraphernalia and symbols are limited in demonstration in pubic state schools. Furthermore, some practical recommendations have been formulated to optimize government regulation of religious and educational establishments in the Russian Federation. Finally, the study suggests several conceptual features of the most preferable (general) model of legislative regulation of the religious component in general education in a secular state; these features may be called universal, and their uniformity should be reflected in special educational legislation of modern secular states.

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