Finland considers ending religious teaching in schools

2026-03-12 - 13:24

Finland’s education ministry has proposed ending religious instruction in primary schools and replacing it with a single shared worldview subject for all pupils, citing equality concerns and rising education costs as student numbers decline. A working group appointed by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture has proposed scrapping religious instruction in comprehensive schools and replacing it with a single worldview subject taught to all pupils. The proposal forms part of a wider review of how Finland’s school system should adapt to demographic change and declining pupil numbers.