Youth religious education and catholic religion teaching

Abstract

The essay focuses on results of a survey aimed at determining religious knowledge levels among Italian sudents. In particular, interviewed were students who attend religion teaching classes, who are in Italy the majority. The leading research goal was to verify the theoretical hypothesis of an increasing religious illiteracy in young generations. If this is observed among religion class students, it can be deemed to be so for the rest of the population. Reseach data were gathered through a brief religious learnig test on secondary school studens, both 13 and 18 years old classes. Overall test appreciated fulfilling outcomes on religion learning skills. Knowledge strength depends mainly on both students school performance and mass participation. Class activities students involvement seems to be correlated as well. In particular, high test results occur where religion teaching is mixed with human and social class training, whereas low test performances occur where learning is focused only on strict religion mnemonic knowledge. Thus, illiteracy hypotesis seems to be partially avoid by the evidence of a generally diffused religion knowledge among italian teenagers.