Vicissitude of catholic religion teaching programs in comprehensive schools of Lithuania

Straipsnyje analizuojama bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų katalikų tikybos mokymo programų kaita lietuvos švietimo koncepcijos nuostatų kontekste. kodėl reikia keisti tikybos mokymo metodologiją? koks tikybos mokymo tikslas bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose? kaip 2006 m. Bendroji katalikų tikybos programa atliepia šiuolaikinio pasaulio iššūkius? remiantis kai kuriais naujosios tikybos programos bandomojo tyrimo mokykloje duomenimis, atspindinčiais laisvojo ugdymo tikslingumą mokykloje, apibūdinamos tikybos mokymo atsinaujinimo perspektyvos. Šiuo tarpsniu siekiama ieškoti atsakymų į besikeičiančią tikybos mokymo situaciją mokykloje.In the circumstances of globalization when a lot of countries and nations are forming economic unions, the question of personal identity becomes urgent. Some theorists of culture strongly believe that, without religion, culture cannot be preserved and passed down. Political, social and cultural changes in the world, europe and lithuania, which have great influence on religions consciousness and bonds between different religions, suggest that the issues of religion teaching should be seriously discussed. In the article, the analysis of changes of catholic religion educational programs of comprehensive schools in the context of the regulations of the conception of lithuanian education is given. The classical educational paradigm, which was chosen to create the catholic religion educational program of comprehensive schools in the 1998s, is presented in the first part of the article. The second part concerns the philosophical (pragmatism, constructivism, existentialism) principles of the conception of lithuanian education affecting the conception of free education. The emphasis is put on holistic education in the modern school. The third part points up the directions of the general catholic religion teaching program, 2006. From the religion teaching based on the subject system had been passed to the integral education oriented to the student’s and teaching needs, from theological catechism – based to anthropological – theological context, from monologue to dialogue, from moralizing to collaboration. That is the interpretative creative active education which takes root in the experience and attitudes of the student. The enumerated criteria characterize objective integration into the comprehensive school free education system. At the end of the article, the conclusion to have been drawn is that the vicissitude of religion teaching programs is influenced by the lithuanian education policy directing education towards interpretation, dialogue, development of personal competencies, active teaching and learning which help to gain stronger authentic value and religion attitudes. The renewal of the programs was also conditioned by more clear position of the lithuanian church towards religion teaching and the issue of catechesis. The survey on the realization of general religion program at school allows us to state that it is important for our students to link their life, and religion experience to urgent today’s problems and enrich it with the cultural depository of the bible, church tradition and wisdom of mankind. Nowadays, students seek to actively participate and collaborate in (self) education process. Religion teachers should master greater variety of teaching and learning strategies and be able to create an effective learning environment with the purpose to approach religion teaching to urgent issues