Religious Equality in the Spanish Constitutional System 1

This chapter analyses the legislative changes that took place in Finland at the turn of the new millennium and the implications of these changes for the protection of freedom of religion and of conscience in the Finnish educational setting. This includes putting the concrete legislative work into the context of the wider Finnish society and the social transformations and transformations in understanding of the issues at stake at the end of the twentieth century. The chapter addresses the situation approximately ten years later. In the intervening years, education professionals, non-governmental organizations and faith communities have all engaged with the question of freedom of religion and conscience in education, so too have public officials and the government. Finally, the chapter offers some reflections on how the trends in Finland relate to the situation in other Nordic countries, as well as some tentative remarks on possible future scenarios.