Education is secular and religious institutions are not allowed to operate schools. In the past, students who professed a belief in religion were stigmatized by other students and teachers and were disciplined formally for wearing crucifixes, and for bringing Bibles or other religious materials to school. In some cases these students were prohibited from attending institutions of higher learning, or from studying specific fields. Students who profess a belief in religion now commonly attend institutions of higher education, including enrollment in the Department of Psychology. Religion is not taught in schools.
Churches provide religious education classes to their members.
Catholic Church officials report that during the first 6 months of 2000 there was a drop in the number of children attending catechism classes, mostly because of other scheduled activities, usually by local school authorities. There have been no reports of parents being restricted from teaching religion to their children. Church officials have encountered cases of religious persons experiencing discrimination because of ignorance or personal prejudice by a local official. Religious persons do encounter employment problems in certain professions, like education. In December 1998, the Government announced in a politburo declaration that henceforth citizens would be allowed to celebrate Christmas as an official holiday.