Law supports parental involvement in educational tools to reflect the family’s values.
QUICK FACTS:
- Peruvian lawmakers passed a bill supporting the rights of parents to educate their children with their values and religion in mind, according to The National Catholic Register.
- The bill was passed by a margin of 90-18, with 8 abstentions, and was titled the “Law Promoting the Quality of Educational Materials and Resources in Peru.”
- This legislation requires a “complete respect for the religious freedom or moral convictions of students and their parents” in addition to demanding that education not promote any social or political ideology.
RIGHTS RECOGNIZED IN THE BILL:
- Article 3 of the bill “provides for the participation of parents in the process of preparing the content of educational materials, texts, and resources.”
- “Parents participate in the process of developing programs and the content of educational materials, texts and resources for Basic Education (preschool through high school) in conjunction with the institution through the APAFA (Association of Parents of Families) committees, civil associations or other representative bodies,” the bill goes on to say.
- Article 5 says that “officials and civil servants in the education sector may not approve or publish educational materials, texts or resources” without the participation of parents.
BACKGROUND:
- The bill, passed on May 5, was introduced by Congressman Esdras Ricardo Medina.
- While the legislature has signed off on the bill, it still has to be signed by the president, who can oppose it and send it back to Congress with suggested changes.
- At that point, the Peruvian legislators will have to decide if they reject or accept those changes, at which time the bill could become law.
