Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation. Sunday School Regulations Sunday School Standard

“The standard of teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” was adopted in a new edition at a meeting of the Holy Synod on March 9, 2017 (magazine No. 16).

The Lord serves as an ideal for the upbringing of a developing person. Little is said about His childhood in the Gospel, but succinctly: The infant grew and became stronger in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him"(Luke 2:40). Youth " Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”(Luke 2:52).

Through his childhood, the Savior sanctified the most important institutions of education. By humbly-sophisticated obedience to parents (Luke 2:51), He recognized the obedience of filial love and the power of parents over their children. By visiting the temple (Luke 2:41-46) - he revealed the educational role of the temple action. Staying among teachers (Luke 2:46) - honored science. First listening, then inquiring, he showed the way along which the assimilation of any Truth can go (Luke 2:46-47

Ecclesiocentricity- the principle of Orthodox pedagogy, mutually united with Christocentricity, revealing the fullness of life in Christ through the need to be guided by the consciousness, teaching and experience of the Orthodox Church.

One of the important principles of pedagogy is principle of unity of pedagogical influences to the growing personality. This is a pedagogical canon that all participants in the pedagogical process must comply with, despite the changing conditions of life. The canon, in the church's understanding, is the norm of how to embody the unchanging truths of pedagogical art in the changing conditions of history.

Historical experience shows that unity is achievable only where people have one faith, one worldview, belong to one Church, have one spirit and one view on the upbringing of children.

If necessary, the Sunday school may slightly adjust the age categories of pupils in accordance with current conditions.

On March 9, 2017, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church approved two key documents that determine the work of all Sunday schools. It's about on the new “Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools (groups) for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” and “Standard for teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation”. About what is behind these changes and how it will affect the work of Sunday schools, we talked with the person who oversaw the preparation of these documents in the Synodal Department religious education and catechesis by the coordinator of the working group to study and develop approaches to the formation teaching aids for Sunday schools Hieromonk Gennady (Voitishko).

Father Gennady, I confess, is very unexpected news. What was the reason for such a decision, and the very need for change regulatory framework Sunday school activities?

There are several reasons. First of all, I would like to say that over the past 25 years, Sunday schools have taken a giant step in their development. We passed an important stage in the life of the Church, when, having no previous experience in creating documents of such a level as the Standard, we not only created it, but also tested it, assessed the possibilities of Sunday schools, and brought their work to a significantly higher level.

At the same time, monitoring showed that the time has come qualitative changes in their activities. And the regulatory framework that regulated the activities of Sunday schools needed to be adjusted.

The original idea, when the Standard was first adopted, was to build a system of Sunday schools on the model of general education. What I mean? And here and there a ruler was offered academic disciplines, strict requirements for organizational forms and technical equipment, as well as human resources, an academic approach to filling the training sessions, the preparation of a set of textbooks that is not insignificant in terms of the number of books. By the way, if we sum up all the books that were supposed to make up the Single educational kit for Sunday schools, there would be over 40.

This is a lot.

Yes. And all these courses were supposed to be mandatory for studying. The monitoring showed that for many Sunday schools the demands made turned out to be unbearable. And in a large number of Sunday schools, the Standard, let's say so neatly, was observed with a lot of reservations. If for initial stage the laid down requirements and the development trajectory were stimulating, then further - rather a deterrent.

Yes, we managed to significantly raise the educational component of Sunday schools. But the main task of the Church is not to “pump up the heads” of children with a sum of knowledge, but to help them organically enter the life of the Church, to find their place in Her. And in the end, to help build a living relationship of a living person with the Living God. And in this sense, the model of a comprehensive school will be clearly insufficient. Sunday school should become a form transferring the experience of faith from the older generation to the younger and to those who are just taking their first steps in the Church. Moreover, this transmission takes place mainly in a living church community. This means that the Sunday school is, in essence, also a form of care for the parish community for their children.

In June 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill instructed to work out approaches to adjusting the activities of Sunday schools and the formation of a unified educational and methodological base.

For this purpose, a special working group. The head of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechesis, Metropolitan Mercury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, presented her proposals and developments for consideration by the Hierarchy at a meeting of the Supreme Church Council on September 9, 2015. The first stage of the upcoming work was the adjustment of the regulatory framework: the Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools and the Standard for teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools. At almost every meeting of the Supreme Church Council, serious attention was paid to the progress of work.

Correction of these documents was also required in connection with the requirements of state regulatory authorities. In fact, at a certain moment they began to interpret the activities of Sunday schools as educational (in fact, both the Standard and the Regulations in the form that existed at that time gave full reason to think so), and therefore, attention!, subject to state licensing. Educational activities without a license in Russia is a punishable act. And in order to eliminate the problem that arose, it was necessary to promptly amend both the Federal Law of September 26, 1997 N 125-FZ "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" (which was eventually done in mid-2015), and in legal framework of the Church.

It turns out that work on both documents was carried out for a whole year and a half? ..

The Regulation and the Standard has undergone eight editions. Almost all synodal departments, higher educational institutions of the Church, representatives of the pedagogical and expert community made their comments and suggestions. All this was generalized, something was accepted, something was motivatedly rejected. And every time the documents were seriously discussed at the meetings of the Supreme Church Council. And then they were adopted at the last meeting of the Supreme Church Council in 2016 (December 29). On March 9, 2017, they were approved by the Holy Synod.

What is the essence of the changes in these documents?

Based on the results of the work done, their structure was adjusted. They have become more compact, clearer in presentation, logically better structured, with clearly delineated areas of application. The Regulation regulates the organizational principles of the work of Sunday schools, the Standard - the content and scope of their activities.

The goals and objectives of the activities of Sunday schools were also updated both in the context of state regulations and in the context of the theological, historical and legal tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church.

All the provisions that allowed to interpret the activities of Sunday schools as educational organizations, including additional education, were excluded from the documents. This also applies to intermediate and final certification, passing test and examination tests.

Such a type of Sunday schools as schools having a legal entity has been excluded (due to changes in legislation). The activities of church organizations of additional education "Spiritual and Moral Centers" are proposed to be regulated in accordance with a separate order of SOROiK, within the framework of the Regulations on confessional certification and the issuance of a confessional presentation of the Russian Orthodox Church to educational organizations with a religious component.

In the same context, the division of the educational process into stages (preschool, primary, basic, additional) is excluded. Instead, age categories are defined, which have also been clarified. I note that for the first time adolescents aged 14–17 were included in a separate age group.

Except that Sunday Schools don't have to look like educational organizations, are there any other reasons why the levels of education are excluded from the Standard, and instead classes are oriented towards age groups?

You see educational process in Sunday school is non-linear, as it is in general education school. AT regular school the child enters the first grade and then progressively moves towards graduation in the eleventh. Moreover, he cannot but study, he is obliged to go through the entire course of study sequentially, from the first to the final grades. These are the requirements of the law. It's not like that in Sunday school. Sunday School attendance is completely voluntary. And children come to classes at almost any age. And with a completely different level of training. This happens for a variety of reasons. One of the main ones is that the family of this child has only just begun to attend the temple, so their parents would like to give their child the basics of faith. But this is one of many possible situations. It happens that children themselves begin (and not only in high school) to be interested in Orthodoxy. They come to church, they want to sort things out for themselves.

So. Children can come at any age, with any level of training. And this means that the Sunday school program should be structured in such a way that a child from any age can “get involved” in classes. Therefore, the new Standard does not offer a linear curriculum, as in a regular school, but built on the principle of concentric circles. This approach is based on psychological development child, the ability at his age to perceive this or that information. This means that there should also be an opportunity to provide, at the appropriate level of his development, a basis for entering the life of the Church and his spiritual development. For those children who have already studied in Sunday school, this will not just be a repetition of the past, but a deepening into the essence of the concepts discussed. Thus, one can see that courses for older ages in Sunday school are becoming richer in content, and the logic of their presentation is based on age characteristics.

What do these age categories look like now?

There are four of them. The first - children aged 5-7 years; the second - children aged 8-10 years; the third - children aged 11-13 years; the fourth - children aged 14-17 years (older adolescence).

Our task is to simplify the work of Sunday schools. Therefore, there are only two of their forms. As a matter of fact, the Sunday school itself. And the Sunday group. The only criterion for distinguishing between them will be the number of attendees.

Is it a rigidly fixed gradation?

No. Sunday schools have the right to slightly adjust the age categories of pupils in accordance with current conditions. In addition, and I want to draw attention to this, Sunday schools within a specific age category are given the right to independently determine the pace and order of passing courses within the Standard, in connection with which the grid of hours curriculum The standard is not regulated. What does this mean? Let's say, in the age category of 8-10 years, the Standard offers the course "Fundamentals of the Law of God" in the amount of 42 lessons. By the way, in final edition we have moved away from the concept of academic hours, so as not to cause confusion, but indicate the number of classes, recommending an adequate duration for each of the ages. So, the Sunday school, taking into account its capabilities, the composition of groups of children, can conduct these classes in 1 year, or it can distribute them for 2 years and 3. Not someone in center, and specific teachers in the field. And we should not fetter them in their work.

You said that now "Spiritual and Moral Centers" do not belong to the forms of Sunday schools. Within the current regulatory framework, there were three types of Sunday schools: a Sunday group, a Sunday school, and the aforementioned "Spiritual and Moral Centers". What will happen now, the structure will somehow become more complicated?

Against. Our task is to simplify the work of Sunday schools. Therefore, there are only two of their forms. As a matter of fact, the Sunday school itself (without any assessments of their premises, bathrooms and other things that were in the previous version of the documents). And the Sunday group. The only criterion for distinguishing between them will be the number of attendees. Up to 10 pupils - this is a Sunday group, more than 10 - a Sunday school. Obviously, if there are very few pupils in the school, then it is difficult to build some kind of rigid framework for the courses. It is necessary to be as flexible as possible in the possibilities of conducting classes. And the Standard opens up all the possibilities for this. Therefore, Sunday groups will be guided by the Standard, while independently determining the age categories of pupils, the amount of content and the results of activities, taking into account the provisions of the Standard in this part. That's all the requirements.

Let's talk about content subjects Sunday schools.

We do not call them objects. These are courses.

Okay, what are they going to be? What will Sunday School students learn? Are there many changes here?

The volume of the content of educational activities was subjected to adjustment: the volume of courses, knowledge and conceptual requirements, subject lesson plans, hourly load - while maintaining the basis of its previously developed topics.

Could you give some example?

Some volumes of courses, not only to us, but also to many other experts, seemed excessively overpriced. Judge for yourself: the course of the Church Slavonic language was originally designed for 84 lessons. This is almost a seminar volume. Not sure if kids should take a seminar course. As a result, it was reduced to 34. I must say that quite a few teachers and authors of manuals are already guided by this figure.

In addition, given the heterogeneity of Sunday school opportunities, in the updated version of the Standard, it was proposed to divide all taught disciplines into two groups: 1st - a mandatory minimum and 2nd - optional courses (desirable, but not mandatory). Moreover, such a division is prescribed for all age categories. In the final version, it was decided to leave only the mandatory minimum in the Standard. But from the additional courses, a register of programs and courses that have passed the examination will be formed, which will be available on the official website of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechism. The Sunday School will be able to teach any of these additional courses as they wish and according to their ability.

What courses will be required?

For children 5-7 years old - "Introduction to the Law of God" in the amount of 28 lessons. For children 8-10 years old - "Old Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons; "New Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons; "Worship and organization of the Orthodox Church" in the amount of 28 lessons; "Fundamentals of the Law of God" in the amount of 42 lessons; "Church Slavonic language" in the amount of 34 lessons. For children aged 11-13 - "Holy Scripture: Old Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons; "Holy Scripture: New Testament" in the amount of 42 lessons; "Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith" in the amount of 42 lessons; "Orthodox worship" in the amount of 28 lessons.

I repeat, because I consider it important, Sunday schools can determine the pace of the courses themselves, depending on their capabilities.

Does the Standard give guidance on how to conduct classes? After all, at the very beginning of our conversation, you emphasized that the task of Sunday schools is “not to fill your head with a sum of knowledge,” but to promote familiarization with the life of the Church. And it will depend on how these classes are conducted, whether it will be possible to achieve this goal.

A standard is a regulatory document of a general plan. We plan to give serious attention to how to organize the classes of each of the courses for each of the age categories in another document, for the preparation of which we invite experts - teachers, psychologists, experienced priests. And this document will actually become a technical task for publishers of textbooks and course authors. Only after its preparation will we be able to talk about any textbooks for Sunday schools. According to the most optimistic estimates, it will take us at least 9 months.

As for the Standard itself, it separately draws attention to the fact that all Sunday school classes should be carried out in forms aimed at familiarization with the liturgical, prayerful, ascetic life of the Church, expressed primarily in participation in the liturgical life of a particular Orthodox community. , sacraments, church holidays, and the development of interest in it.

Classes related to the study of worship, Holy Scripture (with the indisputable importance of the presentation theoretical foundations), should be practice-oriented (for example: in the format of evangelical meetings / groups, other forms of joint reading and discussion with children and adolescents of the Holy Scriptures, the works of the Holy Fathers, liturgical texts in a form accessible to children, appropriate for their age).

And besides, classes in Sunday school should help pupils realize their personal responsibility for the Church, the parish community, reveal to them the possible forms of service in the Church and introduce children to them (for example, through the organization of an altar school, charity groups, a children's / youth choir, other forms of active participation in missionary and social work).

Speaking about the forms of classes, the Standard emphasizes the importance of using the opportunities for leisure activities of pupils, such as meetings, competitions, creative exhibitions, crafts, pilgrimages, trips, theatrical performances and performances Mind games, quizzes, local history, sports and so on.

Important life values, skills moral behavior children easily learn through play, so an integral part of working with pupils is the inclusion of game elements in the process of instruction in the faith (especially for children 5-6 and 7-11 years old).

The need to prepare for certification forced in many regions to bring the activities of Sunday schools into a more or less proper form.

Sunday school classes should help pupils (and especially teenagers) to have a solid foundation in the face of the challenges of modern secularism, the tip of which is aimed primarily at destroying traditional family values, at leveling the value of life and grossly ignoring the problems of bioethics. These issues should be fully reflected in the activities of Sunday schools - both at the educational level and as a possible form of ministry for children, adolescents, boys and girls (to the extent of their availability at a particular age).

At the same time, as can be seen from what you said earlier, when you listed the compulsory disciplines, among them you did not mention the course "Fundamentals of Christian Morality", which was in the previous version of the Standard.

The foundations of Christian morality should be laid not in any particular discipline, but within the framework of each of the courses studied. What is the point for a Christian to study Holy Scripture if it is not for him a direct guide to action, if you will, a code of moral life?! Especially if we pay attention to Christ's Sermon on the Mount. By the way, the obligatory course "Fundamentals of the Law of God" is based almost entirely on a thoughtful study of both the Old Testament Commandments and the New Testament ones, using the example of a detailed analysis of the Sermon on the Mount.

The course "Fundamentals of Christian Morality" has not disappeared anywhere, it has only been transferred to the register of additional ones that Sunday schools can conduct at will.

The certification of Sunday schools has recently ended. It was carried out within the framework of the existing regulatory framework. Will there be a new attestation after the introduction of new documents?

There is no urgent need for this. Attestation, which, it must be said, was carried out for the first time in the Church, gives us, in the first approximation, a general snapshot of the state of Sunday schools, corresponding to the current period of time. We have yet to study it carefully. By the way, it is the need to prepare for certification that has forced in many regions to bring the activities of Sunday schools into a more or less proper form. But we will continue to monitor the activities of Sunday schools in the operational mode.

As for the changes to the Standard themselves, I cannot rule out the possibility that we will have to make some adjustments to this document further, in working order, taking into account the requirements of the time. This is normal practice in the education sector.

As far as I understand, the work to improve the activities of Sunday schools is not limited to the adjustment of the Standard and Regulations?

Right. A detailed study of the requirements for the forms and methods of work in Sunday schools in relation to each of the courses within the framework of the Standard will require the development of an appropriate document. Its purpose is also to give the terms of reference to the methodologists and authors-developers of the courses. Of course, the very work of preparing this document is much more time-consuming than adjusting the Standard.

Then it will be necessary to develop exemplary programs for each of the courses. As well as a certain period for their approbation, as well as benefits for them.

Metropolitan Mercurius: "None of the Local Churches has solved the tasks of such a large-scale level in the field of parish education in its entire history."

Already now, the Synodal Department, in developing approaches to advanced training programs for Sunday school workers, proceeds from the need to include in the training course for parish catechists, who, most likely, will work in the Higher School, the basics of pedagogy, developmental psychology and teaching methods.

Well, in addition to general requirements Standard, Qualification requirements for Sunday school workers will be prepared.

Large-scale front of tasks…

Yes it is. I can only repeat what the chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechesis, Metropolitan Mercury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, said in one of his speeches at the Supreme Church Council: “None of the Local Churches has solved the tasks of such a large-scale level in the field of parish education in its entire history” .

Undoubtedly, this is the great merit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, who constantly keeps this issue in the focus of his attention.

We are grateful to everyone who took part in the preparation of new documents for Sunday schools. First of all, to His Holiness for paternal guidance and guidance, as well as to representatives of synodal structures and general church educational institutions, experts - teachers, psychologists, practitioners.

Let me express my modest hope that even more practitioners from many dioceses of our Church will join the work to further improve the methodological base of Sunday schools.

Thank you very much for such a thorough discussion.

Interviewed by Vadim Komissarenko

On March 9, 2017, during a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, a report was heard from the chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechization, Metropolitan Mercury of Rostov and Novocherkassk, on the draft updated versions of the documents “Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” and “Standard educational -educational activities implemented in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” (magazine No. 16).

The members of the Holy Synod decided to adopt in a new edition the documents “Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools (groups) for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” and “Standard for teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation” .

It was decided from the moment of approval by the Holy Synod to put into effect a new version of the document “Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools (groups) for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation”, with the exception of the parts relating to the requirements for teachers and the equipment of Sunday schools (clause 4.3 and 4.6-4.9 of the Regulations), which should come into effect from September 1, 2017.

The Holy Synod decided to put into effect from September 1, 2017 a new edition of the "Standard for teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation", which the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechization should be guided by when preparing teaching aids and Sunday school programs.

***

Due to the fact that a number of provisions of the normative documents of the Holy Synod of 2012, regulating the activities of Sunday schools, required clarification, as well as in connection with the needs of Sunday schools identified during the accreditation, the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechism submitted to the discussion of the Supreme Church Council new edition documents “Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools (groups) for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation”, “Standard of teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation”.

As a result of the discussions that took place at the meetings of the Supreme Church Council on October 31, 2016 and December 29, 2016, the above documents were submitted for approval by the Holy Synod, taking into account the comments of the members of the Supreme Church Council.

1.1. This Regulation governs the activities of the Sunday schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.

1.2. Sunday school is structural unit religious organization of the Russian Orthodox Church (parish, monastery, metochion, etc.) without the right of a legal entity.

1.3. The purpose of Sunday Schools is:

1.3.1. (in the context of the theological, historical and legal tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church) - assisting a person who believes in God in a conscious and responsible entry into the life of the Church, instructing an Orthodox Christian in the truths of faith and moral norms of Christianity, introducing him to the Holy Scripture and Church Tradition, including the liturgical life of the Church, to patristic prayer and ascetic experience;

1.3.2. (in the context of the system of state regulations of the Russian Federation) - the implementation of religious education and religious education of followers for the purpose of joint confession and dissemination of the Orthodox faith, which is a sign of a religious organization in accordance with the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations", the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Charter of the parish, monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church.

1.4. If a religious organization does not have necessary conditions to organize a Sunday school, its activities are carried out in the format of a Sunday group, which is a simplified type of Sunday school.

1.5. The Sunday school does not implement in its activities the main and / or additional educational programs.
Requirements for general, preschool and additional education of children established by federal state educational standards(requirements) do not apply to Sunday school activities.

1.6. The activities of Sunday schools are not subject to licensing in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

1.7. The use of the means of labor, aesthetic, sports and other education and training in the process of teaching in the faith serves to achieve common purpose teaching religion and religious education and does not constitute a separate (separate) program of additional education subject to licensing.
1.8. Instruction in the faith in Sunday schools can take the form of:

• conversations;
• participation in divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies, sacraments of the Russian Orthodox Church;
• the study of the Holy Scriptures, the Law of God, etc.;
• pilgrimages, campaigns, religious processions;
• works of mercy;
• familiarization with traditional church crafts;
• church choir;
• participation in organizing and celebrating church holidays (Christmas performances, Easter concerts) and other similar projects (Christmas and Maslenitsa festivities, making traditional costumes, etc.);
• visits to monasteries with accommodation in them;
• other forms that do not contradict the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church.

II. ORGANIZATION OF ACTIVITIES

2.1. The activities of Sunday schools are regulated by the regulatory documents of the Russian Orthodox Church, the current legislation of the Russian Federation, decrees and orders of the diocesan bishop, orders of the rector of a religious organization (parish, monastery, metochion, etc.), other orders of the head of a religious organization.

2.2. A Sunday school is considered established from the moment the order of the rector (head of a religious organization) is issued.

2.3. The Sunday School operates on the basis of the Regulations on the Sunday School, developed by the religious organization on the basis of these Regulations and approved by the rector (head of the religious organization).
2.4. The Sunday group operates on the basis of these Regulations as common for this type of Sunday schools, does not require the adoption of a special local act.

2.5. The decision to start attending Sunday school classes is possible with the blessing of the rector of the religious organization (or a person authorized by him) on the basis of a written application from the parents (legal representatives).

2.6. Prior to the start of classes, the director of the Sunday school, with the blessing of the rector, is obliged to familiarize the parents (legal representatives) of the pupils with the documents regulating the activities of the Sunday school.

2.7. The activities of Sunday schools can be organized using authorial, creative methods and approaches, taking into account the principles set forth in the regulatory documents relating to the activities of Sunday schools.

III. SUNDAY SCHOOLS PARTICIPANTS

3.1. The following persons take part in the activities of the Sunday school: the rector of the religious organization, the director of the Sunday school, the confessor, teachers of the Sunday school (persons who teach religion and religious education), pupils, their parents (legal representatives).

3.2. The rector exercises general management and control over the activities of the school, ensures compliance with the requirements of the current legislation and church regulations in this area, and is responsible for it to the Hierarchy.

3.3 The head of a religious organization must take care of the proper logistical and financial support for the activities of the Sunday school.

3.4. The rector of a religious organization entrusts (or assumes) one of the regular clergymen with spiritual care for the pupils of the Sunday school.

3.5. The confessor takes care of the spiritual and moral development of children and teachers (persons who instruct in the Orthodox faith), taking into account the individual characteristics of the pupils.

3.6. Sunday School students are entitled to:

• familiarization with the Orthodox dogma, traditions, history and culture;
• use of the Sunday school library;
• conditions guaranteeing the protection of life and health during classes.

3.7. Parents (legal representatives) of pupils have the right to:

• familiarization with the course and content of the activities of the Sunday school;
• participating in Sunday school activities;
• use library fund Sunday school.

3.8. The Sunday School Principal, with the blessing of the rector, directly organizes, plans, develops and coordinates the work of the Sunday School.

3.9. Persons who meet the established qualification requirements are involved in carrying out the activities of the Sunday school for instruction in the faith.

3.10. Relations with persons carrying out activities within the framework of the Sunday school are regulated by an employment or civil law contract with a religious organization.

IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZING THE ACTIVITIES OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS

4.1. When organizing and operating Sunday schools, requirements are imposed on:

• volume, content and results of activities for instruction in the faith;
• teachers (persons carrying out instruction in the Orthodox faith);
• financing, logistical and information support.

4.2. The scope and content of activities for instruction in the faith in Sunday schools are determined by the Standard of teaching and educational activities implemented in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation.

4.3. Requirements for teachers (persons who teach religion and religious education) include:
confession of the Orthodox faith;

• regular participation in the liturgical life of the Church (regular communion, confession);
• a good reputation among parishioners;
• active participation in the life of the Church (parish community);
• availability of education that meets the established qualification requirements.

4.4. Financing of the activities of the Sunday school should ensure the possibility of achieving the goals in accordance with the requirements of the Standard for teaching and educational activities implemented in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation.

4.5. The material and technical condition of Sunday schools should ensure:

a) compliance with sanitary and hygienic conditions;
b) electrical and fire safety;
c) labor protection requirements.

4.6. The Sunday school should have a library stocked with books of doctrinal content, books of Holy Scripture, patristic literature, literature on Orthodox pedagogy, popular scientific and children's Orthodox fiction, dictionaries and reference books, biblical atlases, historical Orthodox literature, reference and bibliographic literature, a fund of additional literature and other literature in printed and electronic form, reference and bibliographic and periodicals accompanying the activities of the Sunday school, video and audio materials, e-books, teaching aids having the stamp of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis (hereinafter referred to as the Synodal OROK) or the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, including those with electronic applications that are their integral part, other literature and, if possible, provide students with them.

4.7. Information equipment should provide the ability to:
obtaining information necessary for the work of Sunday schools (search for information on the Internet, the library, etc.);
creation and use of media libraries, audio and video materials.

4.8. The information environment may include a set of technological means (computers, databases, software products, etc.), cultural and organizational forms of information interaction.

4.9. The information environment should provide the ability to carry out the following activities:

• activity planning;
• preservation (and, if possible, publication) of materials, including the works of pupils and teachers;
• fixing the course of classes and their results;
• the interaction of the Sunday school with the diocesan OROiK, the Synodal OROiK and other organizations;
• when providing access for participants in the activities of the Sunday school to information resources on the Internet, its controllability, aimed at limiting access to information that is incompatible with the tasks of religious education;
• interaction between participants in the activities of the Sunday school (preferably remote, via the Internet).

1.1. The standard of teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Standard) is a regulatory document that includes requirements for the volume and content of the process of teaching religion and religious education of children within the framework of the Sunday school.

1.2. The content of teaching religion and religious education in Sunday school for children - a set of basic doctrinal knowledge and experience of faith, the transfer of which is aimed at familiarizing pupils with spiritual life in the bosom of the Russian Orthodox Church, acquiring personal spiritual experience and educating an active and multifaceted personality of an Orthodox Christian.

1.3. Purpose of implementation The standard is to systematize and improve the quality of educational activities in the Sunday schools of the Russian Orthodox Church.

1.4. Standard Features:

• backbone: building a unified system of teaching religion and religious education of children in the Russian Orthodox Church on the principles Christocentricity, ecclesiocentricity(church) and understanding of man as the image of God;
• organizational: organization of teaching religion and religious education of children;
• normative: establishment of basic (basic) requirements for the organization, volume and content of teaching religion and religious education of children.

1.5. The standard is implemented under the following conditions:

• the unity of the Church and the family in the religious education of children;
• creating conditions/atmosphere in the Sunday school conducive to the education of Christian piety, moral behavior, and skills to combat evil;
• the presence of a voluntary and sincere desire of children to accept the Divine Truth, assimilate spiritual experience;
• compliance of the content and methods of teaching religion and religious education with age and other personal characteristics of children.

1.6. The standard is focused on the formation of the personal characteristics of the pupil:

• who recognizes himself as an Orthodox Christian, a child of the Russian Orthodox Church;
• striving to acquire personal spiritual experience with the aim of becoming like God;
• creative, thinking, actively and purposefully knowing the world;
• aware of himself as a socially active person, respecting the law, fulfilling his duties to the family and society;
• loving his Motherland, respecting his people, their culture and traditions, aware of his involvement in the fate of the Fatherland.

1.7. Religious education and religious education in Sunday school for children differs for children of four age categories:
a) the first (at the age of 5–7 years);
b) the second (at the age of 8–10 years);
c) the third (at the age of 11–13 years);
d) the fourth (at the age of 14-17 years - adolescents).

1.8. Teaching religion and religious education of children aged 5–7 is aimed at forming primary ideas about God, the world and man, about the Orthodox faith and tradition, Orthodox culture, primary spiritual experience, and primary skills of interaction within the parish community.

1.9. Teaching religion and religious education of children aged 8-10 is aimed at shaping the Orthodox worldview, acquiring by pupils the initial knowledge of the Orthodox faith, familiarization with the Orthodox tradition and culture, lifestyle, acquiring the skills of Christian piety, spiritual experience, and interaction within the parish community.

1.10. Teaching religion and religious education of children aged 11-13 is aimed at forming an Orthodox worldview, acquiring knowledge about the Orthodox dogma, Christian morality and culture, strengthening the skills of Christian piety, the ability to apply the acquired knowledge in Everyday life, consciously participate in the sacraments and worship of the Church, in social, youth and missionary work and other parish.

1.11. The content and results of teaching religion and religious education for children aged 14–17 (teenagers) are determined by a separate document. Prior to its entry into force, the content of teaching religion and religious education for this category is determined the same as for the group of 11-13 years old, and the teaching of religion and religious education itself is carried out taking into account age-related psychological and pedagogical characteristics with the widest possible use of non-classroom forms of education.

1.12. Sunday group features:

• the number of pupils up to 10 people;
• is guided by this Standard, while independently determining the age categories of pupils, the scope of content and the results of teaching religion and religious education, taking into account the provisions of this Standard in this part of its activities.

1.13. Sunday School Features:

• the number of pupils is at least 10 people;
• is guided in its activities by this Standard.

1.14. The specific procedure for organizing the activities of a Sunday school in accordance with this Standard is established and changed by decision of the rector of the parish (other religious organization) in which the Sunday school operates, or by a person authorized by the rector.

2. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONTENT AND OUTCOMES OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

2.1. Given the heterogeneity of Sunday schools in terms of opportunities to implement the content of teaching religion and religious education, this Standard provides an opportunity for Sunday schools to independently determine the scope of the content of teaching religion and religious education, subject to the mandatory minimum:

for children 5–7 years old:
"Introduction to the Law of God" in the amount of 28 lessons;

for children 8–10 years old:

• "Old Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons;
• "New Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons;
• "Worship and organization of the Orthodox Church" in the amount of 28 lessons;
• "Fundamentals of the Law of God" in the amount of 42 lessons;
• "Church Slavonic" in the amount of 34 lessons;

for children 11–13 years old:

• "Holy Scripture: Old Testament" in the amount of 28 lessons;
• "Holy Scripture: New Testament" in the amount of 42 lessons;
• "Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith" in the amount of 42 lessons;
• "Orthodox worship" in the amount of 28 lessons.

2.2. In addition to the mandatory minimum, Sunday schools have the right to provide teaching and religious education also within the framework of additional disciplines.

2.3. The register of additional disciplines for teaching religion and religious education is formed and maintained by the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechism.

2.4. Additional disciplines of teaching religion and religious education for Sunday schools are included in the register after examination by the Order of the Chairman of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechism.

2.5. Religious education and religious education in Sunday school is organized using a schedule grid prepared in accordance with the capabilities of a particular Sunday school, taking into account the norms for each age category specified in clause 2.1. of this Standard. The Sunday School within a particular age category determines the pace and order of the courses within the framework of this Standard.

2.6. Religious education and religious education in Sunday school can be organized using original, creative methods and approaches based on the principles set forth in this Standard.

2.7. Religious education and religious education in Sunday school should be carried out in forms aimed at initiating and developing interest in the liturgical, prayerful, ascetic life of the Church, expressed primarily in participation in the liturgical life of a particular Orthodox community, sacraments, church holidays.

2.8. Classes related to the study of worship, Holy Scripture (with the indisputable importance of presenting the theoretical foundations) should be practice-oriented (for example, in the format of evangelical meetings / groups, other forms of joint reading and discussion with children and adolescents of the Holy Scripture, the works of the Holy Fathers , liturgical texts in a form accessible to children, appropriate for their age).

2.9. Religious education and religious education in Sunday school should serve to help students realize their personal responsibility for the Church, the parish community, disclose to them possible forms of service in the Church and introduce children to them (for example, through the organization of an altar school, charity groups, a children's / youth choir , other forms of active participation in missionary and social work).

2.10. When organizing the process of teaching religion and religious education, it is important to use the opportunities for leisure activities of pupils in such forms as meetings, competitions, creative exhibitions, crafts, pilgrimages, hikes, theatrical performances and performances, intellectual games, quizzes, local history, sports, etc.

2.11. Children easily learn important meaningful values ​​and moral behavior skills through play, so an integral part of working with pupils is the inclusion of game elements in the process of instruction in faith (especially for children 5–6 and 7–11 years old).

2.12. Sunday school classes should help pupils (and especially teenagers) to have a solid foundation in the face of the challenges of modern secularism, the tip of which is aimed primarily at destroying traditional family values, at leveling the value of life and grossly ignoring the problems of bioethics. These issues should be fully reflected in the activities of Sunday schools - both at the educational level and as a possible form of ministry for children, adolescents, boys and girls (to the extent of their availability at a particular age).

3. CONTENT, OBJECTIVES AND EXAMPLE OUTCOMES OF RELIGION TEACHING AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

3.1. RELIGION EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF CHILDREN 5–7 YEARS OLD

At this age, the child deeply and reverently perceives and experiences his first impressions, gaining experience that will determine him in the future. life path and moral choice. It is very important that these first impressions give him lessons of kindness and love, reveal the beauty and grandeur of the world created by God, and teach him to take care of it. The upbringing of the habit of a virtuous life in children should be manifested in the desire to help other people, the ability to empathize, joy, adequate expression of their feelings, in maintaining order and cleanliness in the house and in the yard, in their things.

For preschool children aged 5–7 years, classes are recommended for no more than 15–20 minutes.

Classes are recommended to be carried out in the form of games, thematic conversations, musical and motor exercises. Allowed lesson-conversation, lesson-game, lesson-travel, lesson-quest, lesson-"creative workshop", lesson-video tour, lesson-"mini-performance" (puppet or using split cards of characters), combined lesson with frequent change cognitive and developmental exercises. The main emphasis of the teacher (the person who teaches religion and religious education) should be on promoting the harmonious development of the spiritual, moral, creative, intellectual and cognitive spheres of the child's personality through play activities.

"INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF GOD" (IN THREE PARTS) (28 LESSONS)

Understanding "Introduction to the Law of God" in preschool age is aimed at achieving the following tasks:

• to lay the foundations of the Orthodox worldview, to give basic knowledge about God and faith, the world and man;
• awaken the personality of the child, direct it to the knowledge of God, form religious feelings;
• to instill in children a sense of reverence for the shrine and saints, reverence and love for parents and other people, to teach them to take care of the world around them as a creation of God;
• develop Creative skills, direct them to the mental and aesthetic development of the child;
• help to master and consolidate the initial skills of spiritual life in the Church;
• develop moral feelings, give ideas about good and evil, enrich the moral experience of children through mastering the skills of a virtuous life.

"Part 1. Introduction to the Law of God"

God is the Creator of the world. Jesus Christ, Son of God. The world is a creation of God. About holy angels. Guardian Angels. The Bible is a holy book. The Gospel is a book about the earthly life of the Son of God - Jesus Christ. Cross sign. About holy icons and holy people. Major Orthodox holidays

Prayers. The concept of prayer. “King of Heaven”, “Our Father”, “It is worthy to eat”, Guardian Angel (can be abbreviated), troparion of Easter.

"Part 2. The sacred biblical story"

Old Testament. About the creation of the world. How God created the first people. The Fall as the disobedience of the forefathers. Cain and Abel. The Flood and the Salvation of Noah. God makes a covenant with Abraham. Joseph. Moses (briefly).
New Testament. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Nativity. Holy Resurrection of Christ (Easter).

"Part 3. Worship and Sacraments"

The temple is the house of God. The structure of the temple (briefly). Blessing of the priest.

Based on the results of mastering the "Introduction to the Law of God", the pupil must have certain knowledge and skills:

• understanding that God is the Creator of the world;
• knowledge about prayer: what prayer is, why it is necessary, where, when and how to pray, prayers beforehand, the Lord's Prayer, prayers before and after the meal, communion verse, Pascha Troparion;
• the idea of ​​the Church of Christ as the house of God;
• the idea of ​​the Bible as a Holy Book, knowledge of the main plots from the Holy Scriptures (about the creation of the world, about the flood, about Abraham, Moses, about the main events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ);
• knowledge of the commandments of God (overview);
• knowing the names of their heavenly patrons; saints revered in the temple, in the family;
• the ability to make a short morning and evening prayer rule;
• the ability to distinguish between the images of the Savior, the Mother of God and saints;
• have an idea about the holidays of the Nativity of Christ and the Bright Resurrection of Christ (Easter);
• the ability to sing simple chants;
• the ability to receive blessings and approach Holy Communion.

3.2. RELIGION EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN aged 8-10

The assimilation of obligatory doctrinal disciplines by children aged 8-10 years is aimed at achieving the following tasks:

• lay the foundations of the Orthodox worldview and worldview;
• to give knowledge about the most important events of the sacred biblical and church history, about the internal and external aspects of the life of the Church, about the moral spiritual law;
• help to master the basic skills of a virtuous life (according to conscience), liturgical life through participation in the sacraments and divine services, feasible temple obediences, rules of conduct in the temple and personal prayer;
• to cultivate moral feelings, respect and love for parents and elders, for the Motherland, a careful attitude towards the world around us as a creation of God;
• to form valuable life orientations;
• to teach how to apply the acquired knowledge for spiritual and creative improvement and helping others.

"OLD TESTAMENT" (28 LESSONS)

About the creation of the world. The concept of the visible and invisible world. Creation of the angelic world. Archangel Michael and the Heavenly Host. History of Shestodny. How God created the first people. The Fall as the disobedience of the forefathers. Cain and Abel. Global flood. Life of Noah and his children after the flood. The calling of Abraham and the appearance of God to him in the form of three strangers. God makes a covenant with Abraham. Old Testament Patriarchs. History of Joseph. Egyptian slavery. The birth of the prophet Moses and his calling to liberate the Jews from Egyptian slavery. Passover and the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Jews crossing the Red Sea. Miracles in the desert The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

"NEW TESTAMENT" (28 LESSONS)

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bringing Her into the Temple. The Annunciation of the Mother of God and Her visit to the Righteous Elizabeth. Birth of Saint John the Baptist. Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ. First miracle at Cana of Galilee. Sermon on the Mount. Bliss commandments. Resurrection of the son of Nain's widow. Resurrection of the daughter of Jairus. The miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves. The choice of the apostles. Healing of the daughter of a Canaanite. Teachings of Jesus Christ about the two main commandments. Parable of the Good Samaritan. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Parable of the Sower. The parable of the merciless debtor. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Parable about talents. Transfiguration. Resurrection of Lazarus. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Betrayal of Judas and the Last Supper. Suffering, death and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ. Resurrection of Christ. The appearance of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to the disciples: on the way to Emmaus, to the ten apostles, at the Sea of ​​Tiberias. Ascension of the Lord.

"FUNDAMENTALS OF THE LAW OF GOD" (42 LESSONS)

What is the Law of God? Commandments. Under what circumstances did God give commandments to man? Why does God give commandments to man? The commandments of God as a manifestation of God's love for man. What is sin? "What is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Ten Commandments in the Old Testament:

1. I am the Lord your God; Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
2. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth. Don't worship them and don't serve them; for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing the children for the guilt of the fathers to the third and fourth generations that hate Me, and showing mercy to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces his name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work six days, and do all your work; and the seventh day, the Sabbath, is to the Lord your God: on it you shall do no work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the stranger that is in your dwellings. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. Dont kill.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Commandments of God in the New Testament. Sermon on the Mount: “you are the salt of the earth”, “you are the light of the world”, a ban not only on murder, but also on anger, condemnation and insult, an indication that peace with others is more important than all sacrifices to God, and the inadmissibility of enmity, an indication of the need for purity not only of the body, but also in thoughts, an indication of the need to decisively eliminate everything that leads to sin, “... let your word be: yes, yes; no, no”, “…do not resist evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him also the other”, “Give to him who asks you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you”, “... love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who offend you and persecuting you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven”, “…be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect”, “do not do your alms before people so that they see you”, “…when you pray, do not be like hypocrites ”, “... your Father knows what you need before you ask Him”, the prayer “Our Father”, “... if you forgive people their sins, your Heavenly Father will forgive you”, “... when you fast , do not be despondent, like hypocrites", "Do not lay up treasures for yourself on earth ...", "... if your eye is clean, then your whole body will be light", "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate, but to love another…”, “… first take the beam out of your eye”, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…”, “So in everything you want people to do to you, so do you to them, for this is the law and the prophets”, “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.”

"THE SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORTHODOX TEMPLE" (28 LESSONS)

What is worship and what is its purpose? What is worship like, where and by whom is it performed? The temple is the House of God. Church as a gathering of believers in the name of Christ. Temple. External building of the temple. Symbolism of the temple. The interior of the temple. About holy icons. Church utensils. Clergymen, priests. Blessing of the priest. Sacred vestments (overview). Annual, weekly and daily cycle of worship. church calendar. Old and new style. Fasts and fasting days of the week. The Twelfth and Great Feasts. The liturgy is the central worship service. The concept of the sacraments of Penance and Communion.

The purpose of prayer, the conditions for correct prayer (attention, reverence). Prayers: "Our Father", prayers before and after the meal before and after the teaching. Worthy to eat. Virgin Mary, rejoice. Prayer for the living. Prayer for the dead. The main hymns of Easter (troparion, selected songs of the Easter canon).

Based on the results of mastering the obligatory doctrinal disciplines, pupils aged 8-10 should have certain knowledge and skills:

• the knowledge that God is the Creator of the world, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world;
• knowledge and understanding of the Lord's Prayer, prayers before and after the meal, before and after the teaching, the communion verse, the main hymns of Pascha (troparion, selected songs of the Paschal canon);
• the idea of ​​the Bible as a Holy Book, knowledge of the main plots of the Holy History of the Old Testament (about the creation of the world, the fall of the daylight, about the first people and their fall into sin, the history of Cain and Abel, about the Great Flood, about Abraham and Moses); knowledge of the main events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, the main parables;
• understanding of the Church as a gathering of people in the name of Christ; the temple and its structure, external and internal symbols, clergymen, clergymen;
• knowledge of the names of the twelfth and great holidays;
• knowledge of the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist;
• knowledge of the Ten Commandments of God, the Beatitudes;
• the ability to sing the troparion of the twelfth feasts (if possible), the troparion of Easter.
• conscious participation in the sacraments of Penance and Communion.

"CHURCH SLAVIC LANGUAGE" (34 LESSONS).

Basic course

The application of this course is also possible in older age groups, when there is a need to master the base of the Church Slavonic language.

The study of the Church Slavonic language is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

• to form an idea of ​​the Church Slavonic language as the greatest value, the property of universal and national culture, cultures of all Slavic peoples;
• reveal its sociocultural and historical meaning for the formation and development of the spiritual image of the Russian, all Slavic peoples, Slavic literary languages, the greatness and richness of the Church Slavonic language as the language of worship of the Russian Orthodox Church;
• master the traditions of the Church Slavonic language in order to improve the skills of reading and understanding Church Slavonic texts, for conscious participation in the liturgical life of the Church.

Church Slavonic language and its purpose. Church Slavonic alphabet and the history of its creation. Lives of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril (Constantine) and Methodius. Slavic alphabets - Glagolitic and Cyrillic. Graphic tradition of the Church Slavonic language. Church Slavonic alphabet, the study of the alphabet.
Letter names Slavic alphabet. Church Slavonic letters similar to modern Russian and different from them. Spelling of "double" letters: "is" and "yat"; the letters "green" and "earth"; letters "like", "and", "Izhitsa"; letters "he" simple and wide, "omega" simple and solemn. The use of the letters "er" and "er". Rules for the use of the letters "az", "I", "yus-small". Rules for the use of the letters "uk", "izhitsa". Rules for the use of the letters "xi", "psi". Differences in the use of the letters "fert" and "fit".

Church Slavonic stresses, aspiration. The title is simple.

Reading rules in Church Slavonic. Punctuation marks. The use of capital letters in Church Slavonic.

The image of numbers in the Church Slavonic language. Features of writing numbers: designation of numbers 1–19, tens, hundreds, thousands.

Church Slavisms in Russian literary language, works of Russian classics. Alphabet prayers.

Recommended texts: excerpts or quotations from the books of the Old and New Testaments, alphabetic acrostics, Russian classical poetry, optional morning and evening prayers, stichera (optional), troparia of the Twelfth Feasts, Easter hymns.

Based on the results of studying the Church Slavonic language, the pupil should have the following knowledge and skills:

• knowledge of the life history and labors of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril (Constantine) and Methodius;
• knowledge of the history Slavic writing, the development of the Church Slavonic language;
• knowledge of the alphabet: the alphabetical order of letters, names, styles and sound correspondences of each letter;
• the ability to navigate the numbering of pages, psalms, verses in church books;
• knowledge dictionary words for reading and listening to the Gospel and the Psalms;
• possession of the rules of reading and spelling (features of Church Slavonic graphics) of the Church Slavonic text;
• the ability to read the Church Slavonic text (initiatory prayers; the most commonly used troparia);
• ability to work with Church Slavonic dictionaries.

3.3. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN aged 11-13

COMPULSORY DISCIPLINES

"HOLY WRITING: THE OLD TESTAMENT"

"HOLY WRITING: THE NEW TESTAMENT". FOUR GOSPEL

The study of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

• formation of a holistic Christian picture of the world;
• understanding the main stages of the salvation of the human race through the Incarnation, the Sacrifice of the Cross and the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ;
• mastering knowledge about the most important events of the Old Testament and New Testament history;
• mastering the skills of working with the text of the Bible and the skills of understanding it;
• formation of value orientations in the course of acquaintance with historical events the Old Testament period and the moral teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ;
• application of knowledge and ideas about the moral law in personal life for Christian self-improvement;
• education of moral feelings, as well as respect, responsibility and careful attitude to the world around.

"Holy Scripture: Old Testament" (28 lessons)

The concept of Holy Scripture. The number of sacred books and their division according to content. Canonical and non-canonical books. The most important translations of the Holy Scriptures.

History of Shestodny. Creation of man. The commandment to work and not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Naming animals. The creation of a wife. Fall. Consequences of the Fall. The Savior's Promise. Cain and Abel. Corruption of people; Noah's election. Global flood. The Babylonian pandemonium and the dispersion of the human race. The beginning of the story Jewish people. The call of Abraham by God. History of Lot. Sodom and Gomorrah. Birth of Isaac. Sacrifice of Isaac. Life stories of patriarchs Isaac and Joseph. Jacob's prophetic blessing on his sons. The call of Moses. Vision of the Burning Bush. Egyptian executions (review). Exodus from Egypt. Crossing the Red (Red) Sea. Sinai law. The revolt of the people and condemnation to 40 years of wandering in the desert. Copper snake. Death of Moses. Joshua Nun. Entry of the Jews into the Promised Land. Conquest of the Promised Land. Board of judges: Gideon, Samson, Samuel. period of the reign of kings. Kings Saul, David, Solomon. Construction and consecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. Division of the Jewish Kingdom into Israel and Judah. Prophets of Israel: Elijah, Elisha, Jonah. Fall of Jerusalem. Prophets great and small. Prophets of Judah: Isaiah, Jeremiah. Babylonian captivity. Prophets Ezekiel, Daniel. Old Testament Messianic Prophecies. The return of the Jews from captivity and the construction of a new temple in Jerusalem. Jews under Greek rule. Syrian dominion. Rise of the Maccabees. Jews under Roman rule. The universal expectation of the Savior.

"Holy Scripture: The New Testament". Four Gospels (42 LESSONS)

Nativity of John the Baptist. Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. Nativity. Circumcision and Presentation of the Lord. Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents. Child Jesus in the Temple. Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, his testimony about Jesus Christ. Epiphany. Temptation in the desert. First students. First miracle at Cana of Galilee. Conversation of the Lord with the Samaritan woman. Miracles of healing. Calling disciples and wonderful fishing. Healing of the Paralytic at the Sheep's Font. Healing the dry-armed on Saturday. Choice of the twelve apostles. Sermon on the Mount. The beheading of John the Baptist. Miraculous feeding of the people with five loaves and two fishes. Walking on the waters. Conversation about the bread of life. The parable of the seed and the tares. Healing of a possessed man in the country of Gadarene. Departure of the twelve apostles to preach and instruct them of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apostle Peter's confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Lord's prediction of His sufferings. Transfiguration. A parable about a merciful king and a ruthless debtor. Healing the blind. The Parable of the Good Shepherd. Conversation of Jesus Christ with a rich young man about wealth. Healing of ten lepers. Conversion of Zacchaeus. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Resurrection of Lazarus. The parable of the virgins waiting for the bridegroom and the talents. Image of the Last Judgment. Meeting of the high priests on the murder of Christ. Betrayal of Judas. The Last Supper. Conversation with students. Prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judgment on our Lord Jesus Christ by the high priests of the Jews, Annas and Caiaphas. The denial of the Apostle Peter and his repentance. Death of Judas. Jesus Christ at Pilate's Trial. Judgment of the Sanhedrin. His condemnation and the path to Golgotha. crucifixion. Death. Burial. The position in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea. Resurrection of Christ. Appearance of the Risen Christ to Mary Magdalene. The Appearance of the Risen Christ to the Apostle Thomas, the Apostles on Lake Tiberias, on a mountain in Galilee. Ascension of the Lord.

Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles. Pentecost and the History of the Jerusalem Community. Life of the first Christian community. The life and ministry of St. Peter. Epistles of the Apostle Peter. The first conversions of pagans to Christianity. Spread of Christianity outside of Judea. Conversion of Saul. The life and ministry of St. Paul. Missionary travels. Paul - their role and significance in the history of the Church. Purpose, events and results of travel. Jerusalem Cathedral. The Epistles of the Apostle Paul.

Based on the results of mastering the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the pupil must have the following knowledge and skills:

• have an idea about the Bible, the titles of the books that make it up, the author of the Pentateuch;
• have an idea of ​​the main events biblical history the Old and New Testaments, the main types of Old Testament history;
• knowledge of the ten commandments of God;
• knowledge of the main events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ;
• the ability to talk about the Bible as a sacred book that has value for all people;
• the ability to retell the sequence and content of the main stages of the Old Testament history and explain the meaning;
• the ability to reveal the moral meaning of the ten commandments of God;
• the ability to retell the sequence and content of the main stages of the New Testament history and explain their meaning;
• the ability to reveal the moral content of the Beatitudes.

"FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORTHODOX DOCTRINE" (42 LESSONS)

The study of the "Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith" is aimed at achieving the following objectives:

• the formation of an Orthodox worldview and life position of an Orthodox Christian;
• development of knowledge concerning the Orthodox dogma;
• the formation of habits of a virtuous life;
• formation of a system of values ​​based on the Orthodox worldview;
• application of the acquired knowledge for spiritual self-improvement and familiarization of others with the Orthodox faith, tradition and culture;
• education of religious feelings, love, compassion for others.

Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith. The concept of the Creed. The concept of the Ecumenical Councils. The concept of faith in God, the need for faith and its confession. Unity of God. Properties of God. The doctrine of the Trinity. The incomprehensibility of the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Personal attributes of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. The invisible world: angels and the concept of them. The world is visible. The creation of man. The image and likeness of God in man. Appointment of a person. The doctrine of predestination and Providence of God about the world and man. The doctrine of the second Person of the Holy Trinity. The purpose of the descent of the Son of God from Heaven. The concept of sin. The concept of the incarnation of the Son of God. The meaning of the word "incarnation". Teaching about the Virgin Mary, Ever-Virgin and Mother of God. Meaning of the Savior's death on the Cross. The possibility and way of our participation in the suffering and death of the Savior. Meaning of the Resurrection of Christ. The concept of hell. The purpose of the appearance of the risen Christ. Ascension of Christ (his interpretation). The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ, the Judgment of God and the infinite Kingdom. The concept of antichrist. Teaching about the Holy Spirit. Means of acquisition of the Holy Spirit. His greatest gifts. The concept of the Church. Church heavenly and earthly. The presence of the grace of God in the Church. Church properties. Unity of heavenly and earthly Church. The basis of invocation in the prayer of the saints. Holy relics. The holiness of the Church and the presence in it of people who sin. Sacraments of the Church. The number of sacraments, their grace-filled power. The Sacrament of Baptism - Meaning and Preparation. Infant Baptism. Receivers. Mystery of Chrismation. The sacrament of the Eucharist, the conditions required for those approaching the sacrament. Sacrament of the Priesthood. The concept of the sacrament of marriage. Mystery of the Unction. The concept of the resurrection of the dead. Terrible Judgment. On the division of the Commandments into two Tablets. About love of God and love of neighbor. The Savior's teaching about prayer as a means of gaining hope. Definition of prayer; her types. Lord's Prayer. The concept of temptations. Ten Commandments of God. Responsibilities towards parents. The attitude of a Christian to secular authorities, love for the Fatherland, veneration of pastors, elders, benefactors and bosses. Duties of parents to children, shepherds to flocks, chiefs to subordinates. The death penalty criminals. Murder in the war. Involuntary murder. Cases relating to lawful murder. Suicide. Spiritual murder. Beatitude Commandments. Necessity of achievement to achieve the hope of salvation. The Lord's Teaching on Bliss. The duality of sides in every beatitude.

Based on the results of mastering the "Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith", the pupil should have the following knowledge and skills:

• knowledge of the Creed, the meaning of the twelve members of the Creed;
• knowledge of the Lord's Prayer, the meaning of the doctrine of Hope embedded in it;
• knowledge of the Beatitudes, the teachings embedded in them;
• knowledge of the meaning and significance of the sacraments of the Church in human life;
• understanding of the Christian understanding of marriage and the norms of Christian behavior;
• the ability to explain the concepts of "God", "Trinity", "fall", "Incarnation", "redemption", "salvation";
• the ability to explain the meaning of the Savior's death on the Cross, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of the Mother of God, the understanding of "holiness";
• the ability to tell from a Christian position about the purpose and meaning of human life, to reveal the meaning of the words “the image and likeness of God in man”, “deification”.

"ORTHODOX SERVICE" (28 LESSONS)

The study of "Orthodox worship" is aimed at achieving the following tasks:

• conscious participation in worship;
• the formation of the skill of preparing for the sacraments of Penance, the Eucharist.
• the formation of the skill of a home (cell) prayer rule.

Repetition: What is worship and what is its purpose?

Liturgical books. All-night vigil. Matins. Vespers. Lesson service. Divine Liturgy: general concepts. Proskomedia. Liturgy of the catechumens. Liturgy of the Faithful. Sacraments of the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Eucharist, Unction, Priesthood, Marriage.

Repetition: the purpose of prayer, the conditions for correct prayer (attention (“The soul of prayer is attention”), reverence); "True prayer is the voice of true repentance."

Prayers: Trisagion according to Our Father; Symbol of faith; prayers before Holy Communion; Save, O Lord, Thy people...; prayers before and after meals, before and after teaching; Worthy to eat; An angel cried out (9th song of the Paschal canon); penitential psalm of David, 50; Prayer of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. Morning and evening prayers. Prayer for the living. Prayer for the dead.

Based on the results of the assimilation of the "Orthodox worship", the pupil should have the following knowledge and skills:

• knowledge of the sequence and meaning of the Divine Liturgy;
• understanding the meaning of church sacraments in the life of a Christian;
• a well-formed home (cell) prayer rule.

The study of prayer books should not be in the nature of scholastic memorization of texts, the formation of the ability to “read the prayer rule”, but should be aimed at helping to form the skill of conscious personal (home, cell) prayer accessible to the extent of the individual development of each individual child.

4. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM OF EDUCATION OF RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

4.1. In accordance with this Standard and taking into account its own characteristics, the Sunday school develops and adopts a program for the implementation of the content of teaching religion and religious education of children.

4.2. The program of instruction in the Orthodox faith of the Sunday school determines the structure and content of teaching religion and religious education of children for each age category.

4.3. The program of the content of teaching religion and religious education of Sunday school children includes:

• an explanatory note that defines the goals and objectives of the Sunday school, the main directions of its activities, principles, approaches, forms and methods of working with children, participants in the process of instruction in the Orthodox faith;
• a program of religious education for children, which should reflect the unity of the Sunday school, family and parish community in order to:
  a) creating and maintaining an Orthodox environment conducive to achieving the set goals and objectives in accordance with this Standard and other regulatory acts of the Church that regulate the activities of Sunday schools;
  b) building a system of educational activities aimed at initiating and developing interest in the liturgical, prayerful, ascetic life of the Church (expressed primarily in participation in the liturgical life of a particular Orthodox community, sacraments, church holidays);
  c) assistance in understanding the personal responsibility of pupils for the Church, the parish community, opening before them the horizons of possible forms of service in the Church and introducing children to them in a form accessible to them (including through the organization of an altar school, charity groups, a children's / youth choir, other forms of active participation in missionary and social work);
  d) using the opportunities for leisure activities of pupils through such forms as meetings, competitions, creative exhibitions, crafts, pilgrimages, hikes, theatrical performances and performances, intellectual games, quizzes, local history, sports, etc.;
• Sunday school schedule grid;
• lesson plan with children according to the approximate content of the disciplines of the Standard;
• schedule of meetings with the confessor of the Sunday school of children and parents;
• informational and logistical support for instruction in the Orthodox faith;
• literature for pupils and parents.

5. ORDER OF IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STANDARD

5.1. The Synodal OROIK develops the main documents that ensure the implementation of instruction in the Orthodox faith in the Sunday school:
a) The standard of teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation, its additions and changes;
b) Regulations on the activities of Sunday schools for children of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation;
c) criteria for attestation of Sunday schools;
d) other normative acts regulating the activities of Sunday schools.

5.2. Changes and additions to the Standard of teaching and educational activities in Sunday schools (for children) of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Russian Federation are adopted by the Order of the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Religious Education and Catechism.

5.3. The director of the Sunday school (the person in charge of the Sunday school), with the blessing of the rector of the religious organization, together with teachers (persons who teach religion and religious education), develops a program for teaching religion and religious education, which is approved by the head (rector) of the religious organization and agreed with the diocesan department of religious education and catechesis.

5.4. Control over the implementation of this Standard is entrusted by the diocesan bishops to the diocesan Departments of Religious Education and Catechism and parish priests under the general coordination of the Synodal ROEC.