Polish pro-family leaders call on Catholic president to oppose ‘demoralizing’ school curriculum

A group of Polish pro-family activists is urging the nation’s Catholic president to resist a new “health education” program rolling out this school year, warning it will inject “demoralizing content” into classrooms. 

On Aug. 28, activists Bogdan Romaniuk and Andrzej Piotrowicz wrote to President Karol Nawrocki, asking him to publicly encourage parents to withdraw their children from the course by Sept. 25. 

The letter, which was shared with CatholicVote, stated: “We ask that you, from the position of the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland, appeal to parents to immediately withdraw their children from the new subject (with the misleading name) ‘Health Education.’” 

It adds that withdrawal from classes containing the “demoralizing content” will only be effective if parents submit requests before Sept. 25. The activists also reminded Nawrocki of agreements he signed earlier this year with Catholic groups, including CatholicVote, pledging to uphold pro-family policies. 

CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer, who met with the activists in Poland in late August, underscored the urgency of their message. 

“Pro-family Catholic voters in Poland entrusted Karol Nawrocki to defend their values,” Mercer said. “Now, parents are rightly concerned about a brazen attempt to flood classrooms with immoral instruction disguised as ‘health education.’ They are calling on President Nawrocki to help uproot this dangerous program before it spreads further. Children everywhere deserve a firm moral foundation — not indoctrination masquerading as ‘health education.’”

In their letter, the activists said they also sought spiritual support from CatholicVote “for parents who, due to ignorance or fear of restrictions, do not take action to defend their children and thus give up raising them in the spirit of Christ.”

The Ministry of Education launched the subject Sept. 1 in both primary and secondary schools, according to its website. Initially planned as mandatory, the classes were made optional after public backlash, Notes from Poland reported. The program reportedly replaces the former “education for family life” course and adds sex-education elements critics say undermine Christian values.

On May 14, Poland’s Catholic bishops issued a statement urging parents not to send their children to the new classes. The bishops called the program “anti-family,” “gender destabilising,” and said it would “morally corrupt children,” according to a translation by Notes from Poland. 

“Out of concern for their upbringing and salvation, we urge you not to allow your children to participate,” the bishops said, stressing that the curriculum is designed “to completely change the perception of family and love.”

The bishops repeated their warning Aug. 22 in a social media post as the new school year approached. 

Nawrocki narrowly won Poland’s presidential election June 2 with 50.89% of the vote against Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, CatholicVote reported. He campaigned on preserving pro-life and traditional values in the country and took office Aug. 2.