Abstract:

Cases brought to the European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR), which protects the rights and freedoms of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) have addressed issues related to different dimensions of religious education, including exemption. The article aims to reveal the ECtHR's approach to the issue by evaluating the way the exemption issue is addressed in the ECtHR decisions. Examining the decisions of the ECtHR, which is one of the most influential factors in shaping religious education practices today, on the axis of exemption, has a special importance due to its potential to provide an infrastructure for future evaluations. As a result of the descriptive analysis on the case texts, which constitute the main sources of the article, it has been seen that the subject of exemption from religion lessons is discussed under two headings as exemption from compulsory religion lessons in formal education and exemption from lessons, school and activities due to religious reasons. Generally, in applications made within the framework of the articles of the ECHR regulating the right to education, the prohibition of discrimination, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to respect for private and family life; the issue was addressed in relation to systematic indoctrination, content, respect for belief, exemption system, risk of stigma, social integration and margin of appreciation etc. It has been concluded that the ECtHR has proposed an exemption system in which the religious or philosophical beliefs of the parents are respected and they are not compelled to reveal their religion and beliefs.

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