Thousands of protests against wellness education in schools

The Ministry of National Education has received thousands of protests against the introduction of a fresh subject – wellness education, which is intended to replace household education (WEDZ). According to the plan, the subject is to become compulsory from school year 2025/2026 and include, among others, sexual education. But not everyone likes this idea.

Consultations and protests

Comments on the programme basis could be made by 21 November in the framework of a public consultation. Prof. Zbigniew Izdebski, coordinator of the work on the fresh subject, admitted that MEN received many protests. Most dealt with planet views, specified as concerns about limiting parents' right to rise their children in accordance with their own values. any comments were substantive and will be considered by Christmas.

Social opposition and the position of the Church

The Coalition for the Salvation of the Polish School, which brings together more than 70 social organizations, filed a petition in which it demands not to introduce a fresh subject. According to the Coalition, sexual education should stay voluntary, and sexual education belongs to parents, which guarantees the constitution.

The Polish Episcopal Conference took a akin position. The bishops referred to Articles 48 and 53 of the Polish Constitution, recalling that "sexual education under the constitution remains within the competence of parents, not of the state."

Protest "For education, not for depravity"

At the beginning of December, a protest was held in Warsaw Castle Square under the motto “Yes for education, not for depravity”. Its participants objected to the introduction of wellness education into Polish schools. Zbigniew Barciński, president of the NATAN Pedagogy Association, stressed that the intent of the proposed changes is to transfer the subject of sexuality from the "family basket" to the "health basket". "It is the elimination of the message that the household has value (...), sexual anti-family education," he said. In his view, changes in the curriculum are "an effort to separate sexuality from the household and bring it solely to wellness issues".

Government defends a fresh subject

The representatives of the Ministry of Education are completely different. "Health education is the first subject to teach holistically about wellness – from illness prevention to liable behaviour," said Deputy Minister of Education Katarzyna Lubnauer. She added that the introduction of this subject was the object of the ministry, and its implementation responds to the needs of modern society.

Barbara Nowack's education minister expressed a akin opinion. In consequence to allegations of non-compliance of wellness education with the Constitution, she stated that "the subject is not only not in conflict with the Constitution's provisions, but besides badly needed Polish youth". "In a moment, individual may appear who starts questioning the teaching of biology, due to the fact that there is besides a way to learn something about sexual life; or possibly individual will question physics, which may conflict with belief in supernatural phenomena," she said.

Health education – a threat to conventional values?

The proposed fresh subject, wellness education, is to be interdisciplinary, combining cognition in the fields of medical, natural, social, humanities and sciences. It is officially intended to advance physical, mental, sexual, social and environmental wellness at all stages of human life. However, under the appearance of a comprehensive approach there is simply a serious threat to the values and rights of parents guaranteed by the Constitution of Poland. Sexual education, which forms part of the proposed subject, is peculiarly worrying. alternatively of building respect for household values and surviving in harmony with Christian ethics, it leads to promoting moral relativism and improper patterns of conduct.

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Source: PAP