New rules governing the scheduling of religious education are marginalising the subject and are unfair to students, according to both parents and bishops in Poland.

Speaking to Vatican News, Bishop Wojciech Osial explained that if even one student in a class does not attend religion, the religious classes must be scheduled before or after regular classes. As a result, those students must come to school earlier or stay later.

Bishop Osial said Church representatives had proposed a different solution during talks with the Ministry: every student would choose between religion and ethics and attend one of the two subjects.

“Today, especially when we see a crisis of values among young people, such a solution would benefit both believers and non-believers,” he said.

However, the Ministry refused.

Bishop Osial who is chairman of the Catholic Education Commission of the Polish Bishops’ Conference called the decision “unfair” and said: “We do not accept the marginalisation of religion classes.”

Bishop Marek Mendyk added: “There is an attempt, at all costs — including through deceptive means and violations of the law — to remove religion from schools”.