Bill To Mandate Teaching About Religion Introduced In Russia's Duma

In Russia, amendments to the Freedom of Conscience Act were introduced in the State Duma yesterday by Alexander Krutov, deputy of the Rodina (Motherland) faction. Kommersant today reports that the bill seeks to mandate the teaching of a course in Russian schools on the essentials of Orthodox culture. Russia's Education and Science Ministry opposes making the course mandatory. The course is now widely offered as an elective. (See prior postings 1, 2.)