A second educational meeting for religious teachers on the New Curricula of Religious Education was successfully held in Volos, on May, Saturday 14, 2016. The theme of this meeting was the following: “Necessary Steps toward the implement of the New Program of Studies for Religious Education”, organized by Volos Academy for Theological Studies in collaboration with the Holy Metropolis of Demetrias, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and the Institute of Educational Policy. It is noteworthy that a first meeting on the New Curricula of Religious Education in the framework of the “New School”, under the general theme: “The subject of religious education at schools: opportunity for a dialogue and education for all students”, has been successfully held in Volos, on March, Saturday 5, 2016.

Trainers of this second meeting were the religious education teachers’ school Consultant Dr. Aggelos Valianatos, (a member of the Committee of Experts for the drafting of the New Curricula in the compulsory education and of the evaluation committee on the New Curricula in High School), as well as the members of the Volos Academy Training team for teachers of religious education, Dr. Olga Grizopoulou, (a member of the Committee of Experts for the implementation of the New Curricula in compulsory education), Apostolos Barlos and Vaso Gogou, educators in the pilot implementation of the New Curricula of religious education.

The purpose of this second educational meeting was for the participants to be informed, through team procedures and co-operation, of how a religious education teacher can actually work in the context of the New Curricula. First, the participants had the opportunity to discuss their new role as teachers in order to fulfill the requirements of the New Curriculum. Next, through a class simulation, various activities recommended by the New Curriculum were practiced (experiential-team-exploratory- of creative expression activities). Finally, there was a presentation about the principles, directions and teaching methods of the New Curriculum for High School with a special reference to experience-based learning.

All the participants were fully satisfied from this second educational meeting since they had the chance to study in depth the teaching dimensions of the New Curriculum and to know better the suggested dynamics. Their common concern was the need to get further and constant high level educational training in view of fulfilling the standards of an upgraded subject that will meet the needs of today’s school. Responding to that request, Volos Academy for Theological Studies is planning to organize educational seminars for religious education teachers, as well as for teachers of Primary Education, with the beginning of the new school year.