Madrid, Spain, Jan 30, 2009 / 21:30 pm
An ambiguous ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court on the right of parents to exercise conscientious objection to the controversial school course Education for the Citizenry has amplified instead of closing the controversy that has pitted parents against the Socialist government.
The Court issued a press release on Wednesday making known its decision on four cases brought before lower courts in Asturias and Sevilla. It said that in those cases, “the right to conscientious objection does not exist,” and that the school norms that were being challenged “do not violate the fundamental right of parents to have their children receive the religious and moral foundation that is in accord with their own convictions.”
According to the organization Professionals for Ethics, which has been supporting parents who object to the course, the contents of the ruling have yet to be made known. However, it said some conclusions could be drawn about the debate.
“The ruling issued by the Supreme Court affects the concrete instances that were part of the case; it does not affect other cases of objection protected by other court rulings,” the organization indicated. Therefore, “it is impossible to make an assessment of the ruling since it has still not been made public.”
Stressing that it would continue fighting against the controversial school course, the organization stated, “The mobilization of parents in defense of their freedom and that of their children is unstoppable.” “Beyond the binding force of any law or ruling, a democratic government cannot be insensitive to the reality that has led to more than 52,000 objections to Education for the Citizenry and more than 2,000 lawsuits.”
“Schools need to recover the tranquility, consensus and respect for the freedom of all in order to carry out their mission. This Education for the Citizenry has introduced a serious fracture in Spanish education due to the complete lack of dialogue on the part of the government,” the organization said.
The mandatory course, Education for the Citizenry, teaches students to accept homosexuality as normal and is based upon a relativistic worldview.