Report on Religious Education in Turkey Released: A Skills-Centric Approach to Religious Education

On December 22c, 2023, the "Religious Education in Turkey: General Overview and Trends (2012-2022)" report was presented to the public at the Altunizade Culture and Arts Center. This report is the second output of the Turkey Religious Education Project, which was initiated by the Educational Policy Research Center (EPAM) of the İLKE Foundation. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of religious education in Turkey, encompassing formal education and civil religious education, based on statistical data obtained over the past decade.

Prof. Dr. Nurullah Altaş and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Kaya, are co-authors of the report, and affiliated with the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University. It stands as an invaluable source of information, providing insights into the transformation and growth of religious education in Turkey, building on the previous research report titled "Transformation of Religious Education in Turkey (1997-2012)," which was authored by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Bahçekapılı.

The report not only highlights important findings and data but also offers valuable recommendations to improve the field of religious education. It will be of particular interest to educators and policymakers seeking to enhance the religious education system in Turkey and its evolution over the past 25 years. Altaş shared the difficulties his team faced during the research, emphasizing their commitment to relying on reliable data. However, the lack of cooperation from private and official religious education institutions proved to be a significant obstacle, making it challenging to generate conclusive results. As a result, the field of religious sciences is facing a considerable struggle.

Furthermore, the preschool religious education instructors should have pedagogical training according to the report. It reveals that only 18% of Quran Course instructors for 4-6-year-olds possess a combination of bachelor's, university, and master's degrees. Approximately 50% of them have an associate degree. The report emphasizes the importance of pedagogical training for effective teaching to enhance the quality of religious education. It further recommends in-service training courses or the establishment of master's programs within various theology faculties for instructors.

They also shed light on the declining trend in the selection rates of elective religion classes in middle schools. The elective courses, Quranic Studies, Life of Prophet Muhammad, and Fundamental Religious Knowledge, show decreasing selection rates from 5th to 8th grades. The report suggests that the overlapping content between mandatory religious culture and ethics courses and these electives is the reason for this change.

In brief, the report emphasizes the need for factual and skills-oriented religious education. It cites a misalignment between our understanding of religious education and the expected 21st-century skills and suggests creating a program focusing on skills and competencies after conveying the content in higher education for training religious education teachers. Lastly, the report highlights the lack of adequate measurements to confirm the acquisition of achievements and necessary skills by students.