Madrid, Spain, Jun 22, 2007 / 09:31 am
The most prestigious school run by the Marianist Congregation in Spain, Our Lady of the Pillar in Madrid, has decided to allow conscientious objection against the “Education for Citizenship” course, thus opposing the congregation’s own publishing house which issued the textbook for the controversial class.
The civil rights watchdog website HazteOir.org, which has been encouraging conscientious objection against the class, commended the school for its policy change. Directors of the site said they received a letter from the school’s principal, Father Ignacio Zabala, who said the school decided to accept the requests to exercise conscientious objection against “Education for Citizenship.” “I would ask you to please remove the school of Our Lady of the Pilar in Madrid from the list of schools that are not allowing the exercise of the right of conscientious objection,” the letter said.
The website noted that the most important Marianist school in Spain would be allowing students and parents to object to a book issued by the congregation’s own publishing house. Likewise, it noted that several government officials, including the Minister of Interior Affairs, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, studied at the famed Madrid school.
HazteOir.org reported that other schools have begun modifying their policies after the site published its list of educational institutions not allowing students and parents to object to the class.