We offer one hour of religion paid from the state budget per week and organized during the first or last hour of classes. And this is in public consultations. The Episcopate would like it to be as it is, said Barbara Nowacka, Minister of Education, in “Kropka nad i”, referring to the meeting of the government and the church at the Prime Minister's office.
On Wednesday, the Joint Commission of Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Episcopal Conference met at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (Chancellery of the Prime Minister). The topic of the meeting was the Church Fund and the issue of teaching religion in schools.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Education, Barbara Nowacka. – We have presented our positions to each other and some further work awaits us. In particular, in the area of ​​education, we have completely separate positions – she said on TVN24.
Nowacka said that “there are different voices in the government” regarding religion classes. – There is a voice from the Left that says that religion should not be taught in schools at all. There is a voice for PSL – let it stay as it is. And there is the voice of the Civic Coalition expressed by me, i.e. one hour paid from the state budget per week and religion organized during the first or last hour of classes. And it is currently subject to public consultations, he noted.
As she said, “the episcopate would like it to be the way it is.” – But there are also voices that were not part of this conversation, but I also know them, that (religion classes – ed.) should be compulsory – said Nowacka.
– The Ministry of National Education is not considering making religion compulsory. There is no such possibility. And what we are talking about today are the ministry's proposals, she said.
– I am a supporter of dialogue. I would like us to have the opportunity to discuss and communicate with each other. And we propose it to the episcopate with full respect. These were also long conversations, she said.
Pursuant to the July amendment to the regulation of the Ministry of National Education on the organization of religion lessons, the school (kindergarten) principal can more easily combine groups of children from different age groups and classes during religion lessons. In turn, from the next school year, religion and ethics teaching in public schools will take place for one lesson per week, before or after compulsory educational classes. This is the assumption of the project submitted for consultation. Currently, religious education in public schools is organized for two lessons per week, and when it comes to ethics, the weekly number of hours is determined by the school principal.
Main photo source: TVN24