The Perception of Religious Education in Changing Society: The Case of Samsun

Abstract

Since the establishment of the Republic, the issue of religious education and teaching has always been discussed in light of political point of views, therefore it has not been able to evaluate soundly. The amendment regarding the statues of religious education in the Constitutions of 1924, 1961, and 1982 has also proved this thinking. After beginning the negotiations between EU and Turkey in 2005, some developments in the area of human rights and basic freedoms have also effected on educational policy of Turkey. In this process, with the new educational law amended in 2012, giving place religious courses among other selective courses is an important development. However, discussions about religious education and teaching have not ended yet. It has continued to be discussed whether it would be place for mandatory religious education or not in the process of creating a new Constitution. In order to evaluate discussions about religious education objectively, it is important to put the perception of the society about this issue. The aim of this study is to examine the perception of society about religious education for evaluating objectively the discussions in relation to the course of religious education.