The Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) opposes sex education classes

The Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) opposes the introduction of sex education classes in schools and claims that such an approach represents “an attack on the innocence of children, which can mark their lives”. BOR adds that the state cannot impose an ideological model in the education of children, without the consent of the parents, arguing that it is a lie to make a connection between the statistics on the large number of underage mothers in Romania and the lack of sex education.

The church points out that “it is in favour of any kind of education that is truly (not imaginary), useful and truly formative for children and young people.”

According to the BOR, the introduction of “sex education” classes is “subject to great NGO and partisan pressure” that suffocates the already crowded school curriculum and ignores the will of parents. The Patriarchy argues that there are subjects in schools whose content is “perfectly appropriate for teaching the notions necessary for students on topics related to sexuality.”

“The Romanian Patriarchate, but also the other Churches in Romania, strongly advocates the dissociation of school curricula from any type of ideology, such as <gender ideology> or ideologizing-alienating <recommendations> contained in the Document of the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the BZgA, entitled “Standards for sex education in Europe – a framework for policy makers, specialists and authorities in the field of education and health”. The ideology of information provided to students in schools, which must remain clean and ideologically neutral, including on issues related to sexuality, is in total contradiction with the real and ultimate goal of education: the formation of man in the spirit of the highest moral values ​​and the ethics of virtue as an expression of balance and normality. Beyond sophistry, that is, the <believable> packed lie, which obsessively-compulsively conveys the idea that <we have the largest number of underage mothers in Europe, the highest number of HIV-infected young people in Europe, the youngest grandmother in world> BECAUSE of the absence from the curriculum of a compulsory subject called <sex education>. In fact, the real causes of these sad, by their unnatural, statistics are: 1. the dissolution of the family 2. school dropout “, the Romanian Patriarchate says in a press release.

BOR refers to several recommendations on the content of this subject, by age groups and criticizes references to sex life, “the joy and pleasure of touching one’s own body” or same-sex relationships. The Romanian Orthodox Church emphasizes that it has permanently supported the optional character in schools of “education classes for life” and brings several arguments in this regard. According to BOR, parents have to decide on their child’s education, and the state has no right to impose an ideological model in children’s education, beyond their agreement and beliefs.

At the same time, the Church emphasizes that the framework plans and school curricula are drafted by the Ministry of Education, not by law adopted by the Romanian Parliament, and the educational responsibilities can be assigned only to the teaching staff, certified in this respect.

“We believe that the compulsory inclusion of students in sex education programs is an attack on the innocence of children, preventing their natural development and marking them for life. In this regard, several studies conducted in different countries have shown that a such an approach to children’s education resulted in the beginning of sexual life earlier, with the necessary implications, without any social improvement.”

BOR argues that the sex education is comprised in other school subjects in other EU states (Austria, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain), and in others, as a separate subject, but not compulsory (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland).

“We believe that the preparation for intimate and family life must primarily fall to the family, which can correctly and objectively assess the child’s psycho-physical, intellectual and emotional development stage “, BOR concludes.