AMERICA/CHILE - Bishops support: "an educational reform for the good of the nation"

Santiago (Agenzia Fides) - "An educational reform for the good of Chile" is the title of the document of the Episcopal Conference of Chile presented yesterday, November 18, sent to Agenzia Fides, which highlights the Church's contribution to this project of reform, under discussion in the Chilean Senate.
The Bishops say that the construction of a more equitable system is essential to favor higher levels of integration and inclusion. "Even though we disagree on many aspects of how the educational reform is done - they write - given the absence of clear assumptions about the nature, purposes and principles of genuine education, we want to contribute with proposals in a responsible manner".
The document with 16 points, collects the concern of the Catholic community in the country, offers a reflection on the situtation that the nation is experiencing in the field of education and proposes tasks and challenges together with the whole civil community. Among the key issues addressed in the document there is also the freedom of teaching and initiative. In this regard, it is stated: "it is essential to increase the diversity of the Chilean educational projects in education, so necessary for democracy. Our education should clearly express the principles associated to academic freedom: freedom to develop educational projects with the necessary autonomy in management ... ".
In addition, the Bishops stress the need to "recognize the secular concept of education in non-denominational schools, that is to say not secular, therefore respectful of all religious expression, as well as accept the Christian conception or other religious expressions of religious schools, and to facilitate freedom of choice for parents". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 19/11/2014)