Close links between church and schools in Europe may violate human rights
[Brussels, 01 February 2012] On 01 February 2012, the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP) organised a meeting on the Relationship between Church and Education in Europe.
The European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP) is a forum for Members of the European Parliament and civil society, and it works to give a voice to secularism in Europe.
The meeting was hosted by Ms Sophie in ‘t Veld, Chair of the EPPSP and Member of the ALDE group in the European Parliament. The goal of the meeting was to look at whether some schools violate human rights.
Panelists raised the following issues:
- Mr. Lajos Molnar, from the Hungarian Network for the Freedom of Education, alerted participants on the situation in his country, where a great majority of schools are in the hands of the church, therefore questioning the right to freedom for children with regards to compulsory religious classes.
- Mr. Jean Jacques de Gucht, Member of the Flemish Parliament, presented the situation in Belgium, where 70 to 80% of schools are led by catholic institutions.
- Mr. Porteous Wood, Executive Director National Secular Society, made concrete recommendations to the EU and the MEPs: use the EU employment directive to prohibit discrimination on the ground of religion, use the FRA and ask it for an opinion on the issue, use the UN Convention on the rights of the child and the EU and article 24 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Participants took the floor to express various concerns: growing homophobia in schools, emphasis on creationism, growing pressure of religious institutions to take over sex education. Pierrette Pape, from the EWL, talked about the religious attacks against the mention of ’gender’ in natural science manuals in French schools, considered as ’feminist and communitarian drift’ by conservative politicians. Gender equality being a fundamental right of the EU, it is important that member states foster its realisation.
To watch fragments of the speakers’ contributions, please click here.
The Library of the European Parliament has issued a Briefing on Secularism in the EU. Click here to read it.
