NEWS

03/07/2020

12:03

President Duda Proposes Law Granting Parents Final Say on External Activities in Schools

Michał Olech

- It is high time that in our legal system, and above all in the educational system, in line with the expectations repeatedly expressed by parents, especially concerning various types of activities they deem dangerous for their children, which we have encountered in many places across our country, that parents' right to raise their children in accordance with their own beliefs, and thus parents' right to decide what content will be conveyed to children, for example, in school, is finally realized and legally guaranteed. Therefore, I am submitting a legislative initiative, a presidential draft amendment to the Law on Education, which unequivocally stipulates that the activities of any non-governmental organizations and associations conducted on school premises require not only the consent of the school principal and the school council, but above all, require the consent of parents. Such an organization, wishing to operate on school grounds, whether by conducting extracurricular activities or any other activity for or with children, or by participating in any subject and leading classes on that subject, or presenting its program or program offer to children, will be obliged to provide parents with full information about what it intends to convey to children, in what format, what the content will cover, who will be delivering it, i.e., with whom the children will have meetings, what their qualifications are, and what they have done so far. This will apply to every organization, generally, regardless of its profile, method of operation, whether it is a youth organization or any other. If it wishes to engage with children in a way that has an educational character or another character but is related to the school, related to the educational activities of the school, it will be obliged to present such information in the form of a synopsis to parents and will only be able to operate once it obtains parental consent - stated President Andrzej Duda in the gardens of the Presidential Palace.


Michał Olech