이 논문은 한국 공립학교에서의 종교교육 필요성을 제시하면서, 그 현실 분석을 바탕으로 실현 가능성을 타진한 것이다. 종교학 교육으로서의 종교교육(종교에 대한 교육)만이 공립학교에서 합법적으로 가르쳐질 수 있고, 종교다원사회에서 종교교육이 지닌 교육적 가치가 매우 크다는 점을 논증하면서, 종교교육 시험학교 지정, 창의적 체험활동과의 연계, 교사교육 프로그램 운영 등과 같은 실제적인 실현방안을 제시했다.This essay deals with the significance and reality of religious education in public schools in relation to the education policy of Ministry of Education. It is the realities of ‘religious education’ in Korea that mission schools have appropriated it as the means of missionary works. And as the result of it religious education has been excluded in public schools, and its significance was not considered in school policy.
But the need of religious education begins to reassert itself in the circles of education and religious studies as the multicultural society is actualized in our country. In addition to this, Supreme Court gave a decision that ‘the religious education’ of mission school has been illegal due to its violation to the student right of ‘free exercise’. The educational authority revised the national curriculum of religious education in order to suitable to the law of education and useful up to public schools
With this context I suggested some significances of religious education in public schools such as the legitimacy of religious education as the education about religion, its usefulness to the multicultural society, benefit to the students, and etc.
In addition, I proposed some alternative scheme for religious education in public middle schools as follows; the appointment of model school for religious education, the practical use of ‘creative experience activities’, the teaching programs of religious education for teachers of history, art, social science and related subjects.