The Religious Sciences Center in Ourense expects a record number of students.

he San Martin Center for Religious Studieslocated in Orense Seminaraffiliated with the Pontifical University of Salamanca, is finalizing the registration process these days for the courses it offers: Certificate in Religious Studieswhich makes an approach to the biblical story from a scientific perspective, DECA, a Qualifying him for a master’s degree to be able to be a religious teacher in schoolsAnd two Theological training taught remotelyThe center’s calculations indicate that in 2024 the forty enrollments that marked its record last year will be exceeded, because in 2021 they had only eight students enrolled.

“Classes are now being prepared for children who know nothing about religion,” explains Alejo Diez, the center’s director.

Alejo Dez, School DirectorHe explained that “in recent years We have tripled the number of students.We had students from their early twenties to people over sixty. The majority of young people, due to the shortage of religion teachers in secondary and baccalaureate levelsAnd this is the profile we need: young people with a university degree. The master’s degree that gives access to this teaching profession is attended, above all, by “a lot of people who come from teaching, history or psychopedagogy,” adds Dez.

Classes are combined on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. “I’ve been principal since 2021, and that year there were eight students,” says Dez. We grew little by little until we reached forty.He adds, “This year we have registration open until the first Tuesday in October, when school starts. We are counting on not going below 40 and increasing enrollment rates a little bit.”

Regarding the method of teaching the subject, Alejo Diez Yes. Note the changes compared to previous years in the basis of students’ enrolment in their studies.“The teaching of religion changes with the change in educational methods. Now we have a very big problem in the religion class.And all those things that we knew when we were children, like the characters in the Bible, now children know nothing about it. And now classes are being prepared for children who know nothing about religion.