The Ministry of National Education is implementing significant changes in the organization of religion classes in public schools and kindergartens. The new regulations stipulate that such classes will now take place not in individual sections but in inter-class and inter-grade groups. Until now, catechesis was organized separately in each section or class of the school. These changes are strongly opposed by catechists and the Church. "The proposed changes regarding the merging of classes are harmful or even discriminatory. They violate educational law and pedagogical principles, creating significant challenges in the implementation of the religion curriculum," stated the Catholic Education Commission of the Polish Episcopal Conference.
The Church aims to refer the Ministry of Education’s regulation to the Constitutional Tribunal. Petitions have been sent to the Supreme Court
On Thursday, August 22, the Polish Ecumenical Council announced that representatives of the Polish Church had submitted a petition to the First President of the Supreme Court to challenge the Ministry of Education’s regulation on changes in the organization of religion classes to the Constitutional Tribunal. The petition was also submitted by the Presidium of the Episcopal Conference. They seek to verify whether the changes proposed by the ministry, led by Barbara Nowacka, comply with other legal acts, including the Constitution. "The primary issue raised in the petition by the Polish Ecumenical Council is the procedure by which this regulation was issued," stated PRE head Fr. Grzegorz Giemza at a press briefing. He also reminded that the Education System Act of 1991 specifies how religion classes should be organized in public institutions at the request of eligible persons.
"It is therefore obvious that changes to the regulation also require prior appropriate agreements. This procedure was not followed, even though the practice of acting in agreement was applied by all Ministers of Education over the past 30 years," the clergyman said.
He also pointed out that the timing for the implementation of the regulation is too short—the rules are set to take effect as early as the new school year, starting on September 1, 2024. "Given the well-known staffing challenges in Poland's public education system, this period does not meet the principle of legislative rationality. The 2024 regulation poses a real risk of job loss for some religion teachers, without a realistic chance of acquiring new teaching qualifications in subjects with a teacher shortage," Fr. Giemza added. The PRE Director also believes that the new regulations could create chaos in the organization of the school year. "Consequently, this could also lead to restricted access to religious education and violate the constitutional right of parents to raise their children according to their beliefs," he emphasized.
Catechists Protest Against Religion Class Changes: "This is an Attempt by the Ministry of Education to Legalize Discrimination"
Catechists are also opposed to the changes proposed by the Ministry of Education. On Wednesday, August 21, they organized a protest at Castle Square in Warsaw. "This is not just promoting religious intolerance, but an attempt by the Ministry of Education to legalize discrimination based on religious affiliation, which is a blatant violation of the civil rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution," said Piotr Janowicz, Chairman of the Association of Lay Catechists, as quoted by the Opoka.news service.
"In 1990, religion returned to schools after the fall of communism in Poland, which had removed it for nearly 30 years. We did not expect that after 34 years in a free Poland, we would have to fight for it again! Removing religion from schools is a bad idea, and we trust that the vast majority of Poles understand this well and will not allow it," added Dariusz Kwiecień, spokesperson for the Association of Lay Catechists. The Association has also appealed to President Andrzej Duda to challenge the Ministry of Education’s regulation before the Constitutional Tribunal.
