AMERICA/BOLIVIA - School reform: Bishops express concern

La Paz (Agenzia Fides) - The Bolivian Bishops' Conference (CEB) expresses concern about the content of the school reform and considers that it "seriously undermines the objectives, results and efforts of the last two school administrations". According to the bishops, "the quality of education is not given priority", while content "was defined without the involvement of the institutions active in the field of education and their reflections".
The Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco, Fernando Bascopé, who heads the Episcopal Commission for Education, together with the Deputy Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference, Father Diego Plá, and the Executive Secretary of the Commission for Education, Jorge Fernández, explained the bishops' position at a press conference to media representatives.
The message presented on the occasion stressed that the public demonstrations by teachers' and parents' associations "are a sign that the issue has not been well discussed".
The responsible institutions, on the other hand, "are not clear about the responsibility they face with the school reform", e.g. in relation to the provision of technical and educational material and even less in relation to the construction and improvement of the necessary infrastructure.
However, the Episcopal Commission for Education also expresses concern about the inclusion in the curriculum of subjects "which, if treated without an appropriate family and emotional context, only provoke confusion and disorientation". This is the case of the contents of 'Comprehensive sex education' which is included in all curricula from primary to secondary school. This violates the right and responsibility of parents to "educate their children in the love of life." And leads to "a depersonalized and utilitarian society with highly individualized goals".
Finally, the representatives of the Catholic Church call on the Ministry of Education to "review and take into account the demands that have already been made by teachers and parents". They encourage parents, teachers and students to "have a critical sense based on principles and values and not on ideological imperatives", "because education must be subordinate to truth and not to ideological manipulation". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 19/1/2023)

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