Pedro Arrupe Formation Center for Educational Leaders
 

News archive

September 2007

Choice of School versus Social Justice
2007-09-11 19:00:42
At the beginning of September representatives of the international non governmental organizations met in Lisbon at the international symposium dedicated to freedom of education. The most valuable speeches were delivered by J. Barnett from COGREE (Coordinating Group for Religious Education in Europe), W. van Kattwijk from European Parents Association, C. Glenn from OILDEL (Organisation Internationale pour le droit a l'education et la liberte d'enseignement), B. Vermeulen from Socires Foundation, C. Clouder from ECSWE (European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education), and Mario Mauro - Vice-President of European Parliament. 'We need to promote different schools but also variety of teaching styles, methods and programs within a school and within a classroom' - the Portugese Vice-Minister of Education, Jorge Miguel Pedreira, said at the opening of the symposium. According to Mr. Mauro (Vice-President of European Parliament), the state can not decide what to teach and how to educate children because education is about the meaning of human life and not about the needs of modern market. It is parents' right to choose the school for their children, and the state must guarantee this freedom to all families.
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