(NL Times) Several parliamentarians in the Netherlands have expressed concern over the conflict between religious and democratic values at certain schools, as reported by Nieuwsuur on Monday. During a debate on primary education, Marleen Haage (GroenLinks-PvdA) and Ilana Rooderkerk (D66) emphasized that education must not violate Article 1 of the Constitution.
On Monday, Nieuwsuur reported that some Reformed and Islamic schools reject homosexuality or dispute the theory of evolution. At these schools, religious teachings are presented alongside democratic values, meaning children are told that everyone is equal while also being taught that women should be subordinate to men.
Rooderkerk argues that permitting schools to teach discriminatory lessons “as long as they include some attention to democratic values” is insufficient. She said that children are unable to reconcile these conflicting messages. “Children should not be taught discrimination,” said Haage. “Action must be taken against this.”
