By Lucía Ballester Bellver
The problems in Spain have only just begun. After the formation of the first coalition government of democracy (not without shading some doubts), new challenges arise for the country.
Not only are there so many people unhappy with this government per se: the pacts with the terrorist gang ETA (now Bildu), the tense anti-clerialal statements, and now a new problem that has definedly touched the sensitive fiber of a sector of the population with much to say: parents.
First of all, we should know what is the parental pin. This parental pin is so called a “weapon that allows parents to stop their children attending talks, workshops or classes during school hours whose content ‘goes against their moral principles’”. This has become the epicenter of a heated school debate.
Just as a section of the left wing parties is against being taught religion to their children, in the right they are against losing control of the education of minors. There is a conflict of interest between parents who want their children to be properly educated and teachers who have an obligation to teach, but without moving the red line of indoctrination.
Spain’s new Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, described the measure as an “attempt at educational censorship”. It is no surprise to know that one of the proposals of the far-left Party Unidas Podemos is to have the control over education.
However, doesn’t a father know better what’s best for his son? Shouldn’t parents protect the most vulnerable and easy to manipulate? Time will tell who’s right.
- Do the children belong to the parents or the state? Do you think parents have the right to veto content in classrooms?
- Do you think the “parental pin” is being properly leveraged by the government to approve proposals without public opinion noticing?
Recommended Readings
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/20/spains-government-vows-to-overturn-parental-pin-initiative
https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2020/01/17/5e219fcc21efa0f6078b45a6.html
