Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - Representatives of the main religious confessions in Argentina met with the parliamentary Education Commission to defend articles which they consider indispensable and insist that ‘transcendent values’ cannot be excluded from a future national Education Law. “Religious representatives request that parliament include these forms in a concrete and precise form given the capital importance of the law for the State’s Education Policy and for the common good of the nation " the religious representatives said.
The religious representatives indicate three main points. First of all they call for effective inclusion of all school age children in state schools, particularly children of poor families; they demand that 6 per cent of the GNP be assigned for Education and sufficient percentage to the promotion of educative equity and to identify most disadvantaged zones and provinces in need of these resources. Secondly they say legislators must consider the transcendent dimension of the human person as part of integral development. Although the law foresees integral development as the goal of education it ignores the spiritual and religious dimension, constitutive of development. "An incomplete list of ethic and democratic values would seem insufficient - the religious representatives say -, while formation on all transcendent values in important not only for the quality of the life of individuals but also for the greatness of the country ".
The third point is the role of the family in education. The religious representatives say that beside recognising parents as "natural and primary agents" there must be explicit mention of parents’ right to "participate in the definition of the contents, methods and subjects of education respecting moral and religious convictions of the children". Lastly the religious representatives call for the creation of an Education Council comprising experts in the field, to examine the new law. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2006; righe 26, parole 340)
