The citizens of Warsaw until 15th September to vote on projects chosen by them which will be financed by the city. One of these covers sexual education classes for children. The project, which is to cost 3 million zloty, brought protests from conservative communities in Poland which see it as a violation of children’s innocence and forcing them to adopt liberal views on gender. Meanwhile, the centre and leftist groups stress that it is important to educate children on sex, sex protection, and the processes their bodies will be going through as they grow up.
Warsaw city hall intends to allocate 3 million zloty for the project to introduce more sexual education into Polish schools. The project is to be voted on as part of the citizens’ budget. The education curator for Mazovia, Aurelia Michałowska, and social activist Hanna Dobrowolska firmly protested against it. They sent a special letter regarding the matter to the mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.
“Dear Mister Mayor,
… I appeal to you to not introduce to our city’s space, which is also used by children and youth, the project “Voluntary classes, educational and animation activities regarding matters of health, coming of age and counteracting violence for youth and adults”, proposed under the citizens’ budget for the year 2021”, we can read in part of the letter.
Dr Furman, from the Ordo Iuris Institute, says that the project needs very thorough verification.
“Its points need to be checked very well, each and every one needs to be verified, will they be realised in every class group. But first and foremost, we need to make sure that the parents’ approval is given every time. It’s something the parents have the right to, by realising their constitutional right to raise their children in accordance with their own views”, said Dr Furman.
As curator Michałowska states in the letter addressed to mayor Trzaskowski, the project violates parents’ rights, guaranteed by the constitution. Last year, a similar project of the Warsaw city hall was blocked by the ruling party MPs.