Get the kids out of wellness education. Episcopate warns: 'Risk of serious dangers'

Just a fewer days distant from the first bell, and 1 of the most burning topics before the start of the fresh school year is the introduction of wellness education to Polish schools. Although it is optional for now, The Polish Episcopal Conference made an urgent appeal to parents, calling on them to seriously consider the participation of children in these classes. Bishops inform against the content that they believe carries a "risk of serious dangers" and can negatively affect the lives of young people and their families. The key information for each parent is the upcoming deadline: If the kid is not discharged from the class by September 25th, they will automatically participate. The appeal, signed by the president of the Committee on Catholic Education of KEP, Bishop Wojciech Osial, underlines the constitutional right of parents to rise children according to their own beliefs and values.

Why does the Episcopate appeal? Key objections to the programme

The Commission for Education of the Catholic Conference of the Polish Episcopal does not completely criticise the thought of wellness education, admitting that the program of the subject contains valuable content. Among them the hierarchs exchange care of physical health, intellectual wellness or hazard identification. However, much more attention has been paid to these issues, which, in the Episcopal view, are "not in line with the Catholic religion and exposure children and young people to the hazard of serious dangers that may affect their full lives and household life." The main point of the disputed programme is, according to the bishops, the marginal treatment of the issues of matrimony and family, understood as a community of father, parent and children. The Episcopate stresses fundamental in this context constitutional protection of marriage As a relation between a female and a man, as well as a family.

Gender identity and LGBTQ+: The top Controversies

Another, and possibly the most sensitive, part of a wellness education program that raises opposition from members of the Episcopal are issues related to gender identity and LGBTQ+ environments. Bishops point out that all individual deserves respect, but "their imagination of sexuality is not in line with the teachings of the Church." The appeal expressed serious concerns that the proposed content could lead to a distortion of the image of femininity and manhood. Moreover, the hierarchs observe that classes can even contribute to the fact that girls will identify as boys and boys as girls, especially in their the most delicate period of life. This is simply a time erstwhile a young man seeks his own identity and needs peculiar support, care and companionship from his closest alternatively than possibly confusing content.

A applicable Guide for Parents: How Can I Quit?

In the face of these objections, the Polish Episcopate addresses straight the Catholic parents, calling for "they carefully considered the proposed wellness education classes and did not agree to their children's participation in these classes". This is key, applicable information for all concerned. Parents have a constitutional right to rise children according to their own beliefs and may object to content incompatible with their values. To effectively discharge a kid from the class, a written message must be made at the school. It is crucial to do this before 25 September. The Episcopate, in order to facilitate this process, sends parents to the website takforeducation.pl, where a model letter of resignation is available, which greatly simplifies the formalities.

Background and Consequences: A Wide Social Debate

The authors of the letter stress that classes addressing specified delicate issues as sex identity or household imagination require a broad social debate. They argue that a large group of Poles share the Christian imagination of household and marriage, which should be taken into account in shaping educational programs. The Episcopal Appeal aims not only to inform parents about their rights and possible threats, but besides to initiate a public discussion on the direction in which education is going in Poland. This is simply a clear signal that the Catholic Church intends to actively defend its values in public space, especially in the context of the upbringing of the young generation. The consequences of this appeal can be far-reaching, affecting both attendance in wellness education classes and future programme reforms and relations between school and parents.