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Poland's health education debate: PM Tusk supports voluntary school program

14.01.2025 16:25
During a press conference in Helsinki, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed his support for making health education in schools voluntary rather than mandatory. He encouraged parents to learn about the content that will be taught and consider it before making a decision.
Helsinki, Finland, January 14, 2025. Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the media at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki during the NATO summit focused on recent incidents involving damage to critical infrastructure. The summit aims to strengthen maritime security, with the Joint Expeditionary Forces, including potential participation from Poland
Helsinki, Finland, January 14, 2025. Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the media at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki during the NATO summit focused on recent incidents involving damage to critical infrastructure. The summit aims to strengthen maritime security, with the Joint Expeditionary Forces, including potential participation from PolandPhoto: PAP/Piotr Nowak

Tusk emphasized that the issue is not only a point of debate in Poland but also played a significant role in the recent U.S. election campaign. He noted that parents' influence, the content of the education, and the question of whether it should be compulsory were central concerns.

Health education will teach children how to recognize various risks and threats

The Prime Minister assured that health education, including sex education, would be offered where parents are interested, while children of those who oppose it would not be required to participate. He also highlighted the importance of teaching children how to recognize the threat of pedophilia, which is part of the health education curriculum.

Debate intensifies over whether health education should be mandatory in Polish schools

Health education, planned as a mandatory subject, will replace family life education starting in the 2025/2026 school year. The proposal has sparked opposition from the Church, which argues that sex education is a parental responsibility, not the state's.

Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski have advocated for the subject to be optional, while Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka has stated that final decisions on the curriculum will be made once the expert review of the program is completed.

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Source: PAP

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