The Romanian Parliament voted to drop mandatory “sexual education” from school programmes today after it was condemned by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Romania’s Parliament, with support from President Klaus Iohannis, initially passed legislation two months ago which made it compulsory for schools to teach sexual education to their students a minimum of once every six months, or once per semester. The law was supported by MPs from Iohannis’ ruling National Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. Supporters claimed that the aim of the programme was to combat sexually transmitted diseases and reduce instances of pregnancy among minor girls.
The Romanian Orthodox Church condemned the legislation, however, calling it an attack on the innocence of childhood. The Church also opposed the law on the basis of children’s rights and freedom of conscience. This led Parliament to repeal the law in its original form today.
More than 80% of Romanians adhere to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Iohannis will now put forward revised legislation which makes no reference to sexual education. It will instead speak of “education for life” which includes classes aimed at preventing sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. Parents will also be required to consent in writing to their children being taught these courses, according to a report by Balkan Insight.
The repeal and the new bill are being supported by some of the same MPs who had backed the original law mere weeks ago.
Romania’s approach to sexual education stands in sharp contrast to educational programmes in Western Europe, where it is often strongly emphasised. Last month, a British school was forced to apologise after parents learned that 11-year-old students were being asked to define terms like hardcore pornography, transsexual pornography, and sexting as part of a sexual education course, as previously reported by Voice of Europe.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Researchers Warn Vaping is just as Harmful as Cigarettes
- After Russian Threats, Romania Begins Building the Largest NATO Base in Europe
- German School Bans Children from Drinking Water Because its Offensive
- Russia says to Romania what it said to Ukraine before the Invasion: "Romania is not a nation but a way of life"
- Russia tells EU to F*** Off, saying they will Not Return Romania's 91.5 Tons of Stolen Gold
Loading ...
