- Only secular education is a guarantee of freedom for a diverse population. Only secular education responds to the needs of freedom of conscience of all citizens and gives way to democratic expression to the ideological, social and political pluralities of the whole society.
In this way, each person is free to live according to what each religion marks, but every public institution must be kept apart from them, if it is to belong to everyone. Of this, all religions can have a place in civil society and places of worship, never in schools.
We have had this issue in full swing these days in Navarre, where the legislative proposal to reduce the hours of classes of the religious subject in its schools has been brought to Parliament by the groups EH Reunidos, Podemos-Poderes and Izquierda-Izquierda-Izquierda. Unfortunately, once again Geroa Bai has not had the political courage and refuses to cut a session on the grounds that the issue must be decided in Madrid, closing the door to granting other areas in that session. In this way, the government of four will not comply with what it received in its Programmatic Agreement.
With the move to Madrid, we are very pessimistic about the path that this can take in the Spanish Congress.
In STEILAS we have been campaigning for secularism for years, and although we would welcome any reduction in the number of sessions, we will continue to fight until religion is outside the schools.
At STEILAS we have been campaigning for secularism for years, and although we would welcome any reduction in the number of sessions, we will continue to fight until religion is outside the schools.
In this sense, several associations and trade unions have confused the margins these days, those of us who know closely the number of teachers who would be lost if the measure were carried out erreparatuz.Gaia have known for a long time what the irregularities of hiring these teachers are: the whimsical appointments of the archbishop or being hired for more sessions than necessary. How long do we have to allow the curia to continue to choose the teachers who will be with our children at will and continue to support it with everyone’s money?
In the meantime, every ordinary teacher is looking for a decent job on public lists, participating in exclusionary oppositions, paying for and studying master’s degrees in teaching skills. All an effort for some, others enjoying the glory under the skirts of the abbots.
The official doctrine of the religions taught in our schools contrasts with the laws for equality contained in our legislation. While these laws have been passed by democratic parliaments, the compulsory teaching of the Catholic religion is an imposition that dates back to the Franco era.
We need a school that educates without beliefs or religions, where instead ethical, non-sexist and LGTBIphobic values, rights and artistic teachings are addressed.
Amaia Zubieta and Aitor Laka.
National Secretariats of the STEILAS union.