Religious Education

Religious education in compulsory schools in Liechtenstein

In Liechtenstein, the Roman Catholic Church is the national church and the state is committed to religious and moral education (Constitution Art. 15). At the same time, however, it grants everyone freedom of faith and conscience (Constitution Art. 37).

For religious education at the primary school this means that all children who are registered as Catholic or Protestant upon enrollment attend Catholic or Protestant religious education, respectively. The content of denominational religious instruction is the responsibility of the respective churches, which also provide the teachers for the classes.

Due to the freedom of faith and conscience, a deregistration from denominational religious education is possible. This is to be addressed to the school administration. All elementary school children who do not attend Catholic or Protestant religious education classes will be taught "Ethics and Religions" (part of the subject Nature, Man, Society) by an elementary school teacher starting in the 2019/20 school year. This ensures that all children acquire the relevant competencies of the new curriculum LiLe . These competencies are also integrated into the new curricula for denominational religious instruction . At the request of parents and in agreement with the churches or religious education teachers, for example, non-denominational children can also attend denominational religious education.

For the secondary school the government concluded an agreement with the Archbishopric of Vaduz in 2003. Parents and children have the opportunity to choose between the subject "Ethics and Religions" and a denominational religious education (Catholic or Protestant). The choice is surveyed as part of the transfer process in 5th grade elementary school. A course in "Ethics and Religions " or in denominational religious education is held if at least six (1 lesson) or at least eight (2 lessons) participants are registered. (See Art. 6 Para. 1 or Appendix 1 of the School Organization Ordinance, valid as of August 1, 2013) The choice is valid for one school year, i.e. a child can be re-registered for the next school year at the request of the parents.