On the campus of Saarland University, the 9th Day of Religious Education took place. For the first time, the ecumenical training event for religious education teachers was conducted as a Barcamp – participants were able to contribute themselves, as well as their ideas, questions, and wishes, directly to the agenda.
Attached you will find a press release with a request for consideration.
CAPTION: Around 100 religion teachers from all school types and students participated in the "Relicamp" at the Innovation Center of Saar Uni
BU 2+3: Work in the sessions: Discussing on equal footing
BU 4: Participants Noemi Becker and Lana Peters in front of the Relicamp session schedule
Photos: evks/Eulenstein
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Rieke Eulenstein
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Day of Religious Education for the first time as a Barcamp for Democracy Education
A strong sign of lived democracy in the classroom
Saarbrücken. A lounge with cozy sofas and a record player, several coffee spots, a terrace for breaks – not necessarily amenities one would expect at a teacher training. At the first “Relicamp,” as this year’s ecumenical continuing education event for religion teachers at the University of Saarland was titled, a feel-good atmosphere was part of the concept.
For the ninth time, the Protestant regional churches of Rhineland and Palatinate, the Catholic dioceses of Trier and Speyer, as well as the theological departments at Saarland University and the religious teachers' associations, in cooperation with the Institute for Teacher Training and Further Education (ILF), hosted the "Day of Religious Education" on the Saarbrücken university campus.
For the first time, the training was held as a so-called „Barcamp“, an open event format where participants can spontaneously contribute their questions to the conference program and share their knowledge with others in an easy and informal way. While well established in the digital field, this format is still new territory for religious education – and certainly a risk. Because no one knows in advance which topics the participants will bring. Or – as Thomas Mann from ILF put it in his introduction to the conference format: „If nothing comes of it afterwards, it’s our own fault.“ Because everyone counts, very grassroots-oriented.
Fittingly, under the resonant title "Democracy Does Not Fall from the Sky," the role of religious education in promoting democracy in schools was the main focus. The choice of event format, given the motto, also had symbolic significance, which was mentioned several times throughout the day.
A Barcamp thrives on principles that are essential for democracy, said Ministerialrat Rainer Groß from the Saarland Ministry of Education and Culture, representing the Minister of Education in his greeting speech. "They do not just talk about democracy, they live it," emphasized Groß, who also highlighted the importance of religious education for the formation of young people's conscience.
That the attitude that every person counts is conveyed in religious education, emphasized Dr. Bettina Reichmann, head of the religious education department in the Diocese of Speyer. Democracy begins where, according to Reichmann, "children learn: My voice counts, but not only mine."
The topic and format are attractive, as evidenced by the positive response to the “Relicamp,” which Karolina Engel from the ILF is particularly pleased about. Around 100 participants from all school types had registered, including, pleasingly, about a quarter students. “There is plenty of time for exchange. That is the reason people are here today – to engage in conversation with each other,” said Engel.
But first, there is a joint planning of the thematic discussion rounds, so-called sessions, which were offered throughout the day. Initially starting somewhat hesitantly, the bulletin board quickly filled up with the sessions.
There are a wide range of topics discussed in the session rooms at the Innovation Center on the university campus, from the new reference to God in the preamble of the Saarland constitution, to racism and anti-Semitism in the school community, methods for student participation in primary school, to very practical questions such as how the "reading band," the mandatory reading time in certain types of schools, can be integrated into everyday teaching without friction losses.
A question raised in several sessions: Is religious education still relevant today? It is a question that many of the attending religious education teachers face in their daily work. Here lies an advantage of the barcamp: it is very low-threshold, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the participants – addressing each other informally, from the student to the school principal – interact without hesitation. Someone raises a question, another participant catches the ball, comments, gives tips, and shares their own experiences.
The Barcamp format has proven successful from the perspective of many participants. This is also the view of Noemi Becker, who is currently still studying religion and history for teaching credentials. In the first session round, she chose the topic "Should Christians be political? / Political Attitudes in Religious Education" because these questions repeatedly arise in the classroom. She herself wants to teach at a community school later and is also looking forward to it, expecting many different opinions to come together there. But how should one handle this in the practice of religious education when, for example, a student comes to school wearing a "Free Palestine" shirt? "Then you stand there and are thrown in at the deep end," says Becker. She is not alone in this view. "We are trained for the subject, but not for the actual job, because we are also educators, mediators, all in one," says her fellow student Lana Peters. Many participants expressed similar opinions that day.
Becker and Peters would be pleased if events like the "Relicamp" helped to fundamentally rethink teacher training once again.
