The Current Status and Challenges of Religious Education in High Schools under the Credit-Based Curriculum: Focusing on Protestant Christian Schools

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of religious education in high schools following the implementation of the high school credit system introduced alongside the 2025 revised national curriculum, and to propose measures (alternative strategies) to revitalize religious education. [Contents] To understand the institutional context of religious education, this study reviews the historical development of religion-related subjects in Korea’s curriculum, focusing on the shift from “Religious Studies” to “Life and Religion.” It also analyzes survey data from 2016, 2018, and 2023 to examine pre-reform conditions. Furthermore, an emergency survey was conducted among high schools to examine chaplaincy office operations, the number of religious education class hours, changes in chaplaincy staffing and instructional hours following the implementation of the high school credit system, and to explore the challenges and possible solutions for revitalizing religious education. [Conclusions] As a result, At the school level, a strong commitment to preserving the school’s identity and founding mission, along with creative efforts, is essential. If religious education through formal subjects faces limitations, it is necessary to more concretely consider and design a “total curriculum” that integrates both curricular and extracurricular approaches.