這兩天跟南韓的朋友在網上聊, 他告訴我, 南韓有一個中學生 Gang Ui Seok 一直想盡辦法拒絕上學校的宗教早會課, 學校因此而開除了他, 而他則以學校違反宗教自由絕食四十多天, 並告上法院, 法院宣告學校不能在法院沒有判決前開除學生, 整件事引起極大的爭議. 校方堅持, 學生有權選擇入讀一些非宗教的學校, 但是南韓的社會與香港相似, 大部份的學校都是有宗教背景的, 而政府撥了很多資源去津貼這些學校, 所以它們的收生規條不能限制學生的宗教背景. 從法理上, 該學校是教會私立學校, 學生有權轉校, 所以沒有違法, 但在實踐上大家都知道存在著強迫性的崇拜; 因為社會壓力很大, 有一些學校也在想辨法處理問題, 現在還沒有最終定案.
其他教會學校的學生紛紛聲援這個學生, 他們拿著傳單在鬧市與市民講解早會如何違反人權, 希望市民支持, 他們又在街上演街頭劇, 向上蒼天和大地拜祭, 指出每個人都有權選擇自己的信仰, 教會學校不應該強迫沒有宗教信仰的學生上早會.
因為Gang Ui Seok 成為了滋事學生, 學業受到困擾, 人權組織最後順利把他推薦到國立大學法律系讀法律!
這故事使我想起中學的生活...記得中學時, 學校是基督教的要上早會課, 每天早上8點前要回到學校等上早會, 風紀到每個課室點人數, 然後"押"我們到禮堂, 因為禮堂太細, 中一到中三的要站在操場上, 夏天不用十五分鐘就成身爛臭汗. 偶爾, 幾個同學會趁風紀不留意, 蔵身樓梯旁的廁所, 等大家回來時又歸隊, 但有時風紀會突襲在禮堂點名. 早會一般時校長訓話, 讀經文, 唱聖詩, 大部份同學都沒有宗教信仰, 但卻要參與整個個程... 有時候大家都不願唱, 便會給校長罵, 然後重唱一遍... 本來第一堂課是8點45分開始的, 但大家卻要早一個小時回到學校, 很慘.
不知為什麼當時就沒有想到可以反抗, 結果就很討厭這間學校(雖然這間學校幫我在會考拿了兩支箭, 並使我順利地以暫取生入大學), 但中五畢業還是決定轉校, 去了天主教的女校, 那裡不用上早會, 又或可以自己選擇性地上, 此外, 學校的宗教課不是讀聖經故事, 而是不同種型的宗教的教義和比較, 當時我的宗教科project是香港的回教徒.
到大學崇基又強迫我們簽到了, 結果我並沒有在崇基書院畢業... 前兩天, 朋友問我崇基院歌怎樣唱, 想了好半天想不出來...
較早前南韓報章的報導如下:
[Editorial] A Lonely High School Student Fights On
A desperate campaign by a single high school student is creating a quiet uproar. Gang Ui Seok, a third year student at a parochial high school is on a lonely campaign for religious freedom at school. He has been on a hunger strike for 44 days, and his ardent cry is winning the public's attention.
Gang's struggle can be understood as resistance against standardized religious education at faith-based private schools. Some of those schools are said to have been forcing students to participate in religious education and rituals. It does not need to be said that this is in violation of the spirit of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. It also goes against religion's lofty aims. Are not conscience and belief at the core of modern religion? And is that all? The practice can also become an obstacle to educational goals as well, and it does not fit with the ideals of pursuing independent and creative development, which is what modern education is all about.
Independence does not grow planted in "blind" faith. Particularly when one is forced to follow a religion inconsistent with one's beliefs, it becomes a difficult cast to live with and form of oppression to endure.
The whole case suggests an additional serious problem, namely that school administrators have given up on "education." It has been some one hundred days since Gang spoke out about religious freedom at his school, and yet officials there have still yet to come up with any clear solution to the situation. All they've done was try to avoid responsibility with the most educationally ill-advised methods of expulsion. The problem would go beyond school walls and land in court, and the court has declared that his expulsion could not be carried out until the case is handed down a final judgment. Instead of watching out for a young and budding individual, they've left a tender heart wounded. Education officials are finally searching for a solution. The Seoul board of education is reportedly considering an ordinance that would guarantee students' right to choose at religious schools. Now they say the school, too, is looking to resolve the matter. We hope to see a proactive and positive decision process.
The Hankyoreh, 24 September 2004.