Spanish Socialists vow to end Religious Education in Schools

26th October 2015

Spain’s main socialist party has vowed to end all Religious Education in the nation’s schools if elected this December.

According to EWTN News, as part of his party’s election manifesto, Pedro Sánchez, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), has promised that, if in government, he will lead a campaign to “promote a secular public school where religious instruction is not included either in the curriculum or the school schedule.”

The proposal would even include independent schools of ethos, not funded by the state, effectively barring Catholic schools from offering RE classes during the school day.

Reacting to the socialist promise, Father José María Gil Tamayo, spokesman for the Spanish Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated that RE classes are “a matter of parents exercising their right within the educational system, laid down in the constitution, for their children to be educated in accordance with their religious and moral convictions”.

Fr Tamayo added that the Socialist Workers’ Party “needs to keep in mind that the moderate people of this country, the voters of the PSOE, proportionate to the major religious denomination in Spain, are Catholics”.

The PSOE is one of six parties contesting the Spanish election for seats in the lower house of parliament. It last held power in Spain from 2004-2011, under prime minister José Rodríguez Zapatero.
The Iona Institute
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