Łódź sees a 25% drop in religion class attendance over five years, with the steepest declines in vocational schools.
Decline in participation
In Łódź, religion class attendance has plummeted by 25% in the past five years, from 36,000 students to just 2,667 in vocational schools—less than 11% of eligible students. The city’s office describes this as a “sharp downward trend,” particularly noticeable in vocational and technical schools, where some classes have no attendees at all.
Primary schools also show a significant drop, with participation falling 37% last year and 32% in 2023/2024. Many students withdraw after their first communion in third grade, with further declines in seventh and eighth grades, comparable to high school patterns.
Student perspectives
One student told Gazeta Wyborcza, “Religion classes were a waste of time. I stopped attending in first grade because it was just a chore. I haven’t been to church since my confirmation. Why learn something I don’t believe in?” Another student added, “Religion in school felt like an obligation, not a choice. Faith should be personal and free. I don’t want religion grades alongside math or Polish.”
Policy changes
New education ministry rules, effective September 1, reduce religion and ethics classes to one weekly hour, either before or after core classes. The change aims to streamline schedules and eliminate “gaps” in the school day. However, the Sejm recently advanced a citizen-proposed bill to restore two mandatory religion or ethics classes, with opposition from PiS, Konfederacja, and some Poland 2050 lawmakers.
