Appeal of the Catholic Education Commission of the Polish Bishops’ Conference in connection with the introduction of the subject of health education in schools

https://episkopat.pl/doc/234078.Apel-Komisji-Wychowania-Katolickiego-KEP-w-zwiazku-z

Warsaw, August 27

Dear Parents,

In the 2025/2026 school year, your children – starting from grade IV of primary school to grade III of secondary school – will be offered to participate in health education classes. These classes are not compulsory, but if you do not declare your lack of consent by the deadline of 25 September this year, the child will be automatically enrolled in these lessons and will be obliged to participate in them.

You know very well that as parents you are responsible for raising your own children. You have the right to raise them according to your own beliefs. If you see that some values and rules of life are passed on at school that you do not agree with, you can express your objection.

The curriculum of health education classes includes valuable content, such as care for physical health, mental hygiene or recognizing threats. However, there are also content that are not in accordance with the Catholic faith and expose children and young people to the risk of serious dangers that can affect their entire lives, as well as the life of their families.

In our opinion, the curriculum of the subject poses a threat to the Catholic vision of the family, marriage and the human maturity of children and young people. The issue of marriage and family, understood as the community of father, mother and children, was treated in a marginal way. Meanwhile, the Constitution of the Republic of Poland clearly emphasizes that marriage, family, motherhood and fatherhood are under special protection of the state. The program included content on gender identity and legal and social issues related to the LGBTQ+ environment. All people deserve respect, but their vision of sexuality is not in accordance with the teaching of the Church. The proposed content may lead to a distortion of the image of femininity and masculinity, and even cause girls to identify as boys and boys as girls, in their most sensitive period of life, when a young person is looking for their own identity and needs special support, care and accompaniment from their loved ones. It is then extremely easy to harm young people and consequently lead to many disorders.

Classes addressing such important and sensitive issues should be based on a broad social debate. After all, a large part of the citizens in Poland are people who accept the Christian vision of marriage and family.

Therefore, we ask you, dear parents of the Catholic faith, to give deep consideration to the proposed health education classes and not to consent to the participation of your children in these classes. A sample resignation letter can be found at: takdlaedukacji.pl

Bishop Wojciech Osial
, Chairman of the Catholic Education Commission of the Polish Bishops’ Conference