Lower Saxony will introduce Christian religion as a school subject in 2026 – a milestone!

Lower Saxony will introduce Christian religion as a school subject in 2026 – a milestone!

In Lower Saxony, the school subject “Christian Religion” will be introduced from August 2026, which will replace the previous religious education. This important decision was sealed on September 6, 2025 in Hanover by an agreement between church representatives and the state of Lower Saxony. The aim of this step is to end separate lessons for Protestant and Catholic students and instead establish a common form of teaching. Loud NDR The new compartment was signed by Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg, Bishop Heiner Wilmer from Hildesheim and Bishop Thomas Adomeit.

More than 500,000 students in Lower Saxony will learn a Christian religion. The “Christian Religion” subject will also be open to children without church affiliation. In the 2023 school year, around 536,000 students took part in religious education, which accounts for around 70 percent of the learners who took a subject in the area of ​​religion or values ​​and norms. “This is a good sign for interfaith dialogue,” said Minister Hamburg.

Groundbreaking steps in religious education

The introduction of the new subject marks a further development of denominational-cooperative religious education, which has been practiced in Lower Saxony since 1998. This collaboration has become very popular in schools and is now becoming the norm Niedersachsen.de reported.

By publishing the hearing version, schools are now invited to adapt to the didactics of the new subject. The final core curricula, which determine the content and goals of the school subject, are to be made available in late autumn and include the responsibility of both the state of Lower Saxony and the (arch)dioceses and Protestant (state) churches.

A lesson for everyone

The new religious education was designed as a shared responsibility between the state and religious communities, which reflects the provisions of the Basic Law. “We are proud to be setting an example for cohesion and tolerance through this first nationwide agreement,” said Bishop Wilmer, commenting on the development. The lessons aim to support students in dealing with issues of diversity and differences and to promote respectful interaction.

The joint declaration, which is to be sealed between the state and the churches before the final implementation of the teaching, will regulate cooperation in the approval of textbooks and the further training of teachers.

In the interwoven educational landscape of Lower Saxony, the introduction of the subject “Christian Religion” represents an important step in interdenominational education, which is aimed at long-term cooperation and respectful cooperation. The fact that something common has grown out of opposing traditions is also shown by the high level of interest in the topic, which is already noticeable in schools Church and life reported.