New rules governing the scheduling of religious education are marginalising the subject and are unfair to students [1], 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”.