Beschreibung:
The mixture of populations of different denominations or religions in Switzerland began to take off at the very time when compulsory state schooling was taking shape. The potential presence of pupils of Catholic and Protestant origin in the same classes had a considerable impact on the construction of the school system in the 19th century. This diversity had to be taken into account both in legislations and in school practices. What impact did it have on the moral and civic instruction that was set up everywhere from 1848? How were catechism classes and religious instruction organised? This article examines these various problematics by addressing the question of the relationship between moral and civic instruction and the transmission of religion in the school systems of French-speaking Switzerland. It moreover shows that Christian catechism, in the 20th century, still played a major role in the moral education of future citizens.