The President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, announced that he has withdrawn his son from health education classes. In a statement published on social media, he claimed that under this name, “an attempt is being made to smuggle ideology and politics into Polish schools.”
President Karol Nawrocki left no doubt about his position on the new school subject. “We have decided to withdraw our son from health education classes,” Nawrocki wrote in his social media statement.
Nawrocki expressed concerns about the content being taught as part of the new subject. “Under the seemingly innocent name of this subject, an attempt is being made to introduce ideology and politics into Polish schools, and this cannot be accepted,” he stated.
In his view, schools should fulfil specific educational and formative functions. “School is above all a place of learning, but also a space for fostering respect for culture, tradition, and Christian values, from which our civilisation has grown,” he emphasised.
Nawrocki concluded his statement with an appeal to other parents. “First and foremost, we as parents have the right to make decisions about our children’s education, and this is the moment when it is worth exercising that right,” the president wrote. In this way, Nawrocki encouraged other parents to consider withdrawing their children from the subject he views as controversial.
Health education is a subject that, in the current school year, has replaced education for family life. It is intended to cover health in its physical, mental, social, and environmental dimensions at all stages of life, as well as sexual matters, which, in the view of the Church and conservative circles, pose a threat of moral corruption. A parent who does not want their child to attend health education classes must submit a written resignation to the school principal by September 25. An adult student must submit it independently.