Schools to teach faith

Kiev, Ukraine - Ukrainian public schools will begin teaching about morals and faith under a new curriculum being developed in part by Orthodox church leaders.

The voluntary classes will be introduced throughout this predominantly Orthodox nation of 48 million starting Sept. 1, said Patriarch Filaret, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate.

President Viktor Yushchenko, who is Orthodox, gave his backing to the project in a private meeting with religious leaders June 15, but his office said the curriculum must "satisfy all Ukrainians."

"Yushchenko as a father said he wants children to find a path to God not just intuitively but with the help of parents and school," said presidential spokesman Dmytro Vasilyev.

Filaret said leaders from all Christian churches in the former Soviet republic will work together to help develop a curriculum, which will include lessons about morality as well as information such as creationism, the belief that God created the universe as explained in the Bible. Filaret said Darwin's theory of evolution should still be taught, but that it was important for children to hear another view.

Vasilyev said much work must still be done to develop the curriculum, and noted that the issue was sensitive since the country is religiously diverse. While Ukraine is predominantly Orthodox, it does have followers of other faiths, including Islam and Judaism.