Berlin elementary schools offer religious and humanistic education as a set part of the class schedule. Both religious education and humanistic life skills are financially supported by the Berlin Senate and are the responsibility of the respective church associations (EKBO, Archdiocese of Berlin, or the Jewish Community) or the Humanist Association (HVD). Lessons are based on the teaching syllabi / respective curricula approved by the Education Senate.
At JFKS, there are two departments, the Religion Department with three different course offerings (Protestant, Catholic and Jewish), each of which is based on their respective religious perspectives, and the Humanistic Life Skills (Humanistische Lebenskunde) Department which takes a secular, non-religious perspective.
Each individual course option is offered as a bilingual, English or German course and explores the different dimensions of values and/or belief structures, teaches social/emotional skills, respect for each other and our world, communication skills and also provides an overview of the most important world religions.
Both departments carry out subject-specific projects during the school year, some of which take place at school or at other places of learning outside of school.
Up to the age of 14, it is the parent´s or guardian´s responsibility to choose which class their student will participate in. Click here for the Registration Form.
More information on each individual offering can be found by clicking on the following options:
- Protestant religious education – in German or English
- Catholic religious education – in German or English
- Jewish religious education – bilingual
- Humanistic Life Skills (Humanistische Lebenskunde) – bilingual
Religious Education and Humanistic Life Skills (Lebenskunde) are electives in Germany. Children not attending one of these classes will be assigned to a regular homeroom/subject class one year above or below their grade level during that period. Religious Education and Humanistic Life Skills classes take place twice a week at the same time within each grade level starting in 1st Grade.
