EUROPE/SPAIN - Emphatic disapproval of Spanish Bishops with regard to a proposed law which excludes parents and makes the state the sole educator of young generations

Tuesday, 4 October 2005

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Madrid (Fides Service) - The Standing Commission of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference has issued an emphatic statement with regard to a proposed Bill on education approved by the government on 22 July. The Bishops voice concern with regard to the consequences if the law is approved by Parliament. Moreover they strongly criticise the government’s unilateral decision on the matter without consulting anyone, ignoring the Bishops’ Conference repeated offers to discuss the subject.
In concrete - the statement said - the Bill “fails to respect fundamental rights such as freedom to teach; to open and run private schools; the primary right of children to choose religious and moral formation for their children and therefore the right to choose a school”.
The Bishops say the Bill “gives public administration powers which make the state the sole educator, ignoring the primordial, irreplaceable and inalienable right to educate their children” and thus “curtails freedom to teach as guaranteed in the Spanish Constitution (art. 27.1)”.
The Bishops are also deeply concerned that the law would allow the state to decide on children’s moral education instead of parents. The say LOE does not guarantee parent’s right to choose a religious and moral education for their children. “In every school - the Bishops say -Religious instruction must remain a set subject and an option which pupils may choose”. In this regard they voice concern for a new subject Education to Citizenship a sort of ‘moral code’ imposed by the state.
Also with regard to teachers of Religious Instruction the Bishops say the LOE makes them “church employees” overlooking the fact that they work in state schools and are employed by the State as the High Court has reiterated. The Bishops say the situation is legally, socially and academically unacceptable
The Bishops say it is necessary to involve the whole of society, parents in particular who are never taken into consideration, in a pact to give stability to the country’s education system and to improve the quality of education .
At the end of the statement the Bishops say they hope parliamentary debate will allow this pact to be concluded and so eliminate obstacles to freedom of teaching and the right of parents to choose religious and moral education for the children. “When fundamental rights are questioned democracy itself receives a blow” the statement ended.
In this concerning situation the Confederation of Catholic Parents of School Children (CONCAPA) and seven other organisations are planning a demonstration on 12 November to protest against the proposed Bill which makes the state “sole educator suppressing the figure of parents”. The Bishop say parents have not only the right to protest against this proposed Bill, it is their duty . "The Church does not organise demonstrations" they said "but it firmly sustains the right of parents to choose a religious education for their children". (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 4/10/2005, righe 42, parole 563)