MEN ready to compromise on health education

This idea was first articulated - during the government's "Safe Patient" health summit - by Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Monika Wielichowska. However, as a similar demand was discussed at the presidential summit, some in the media launched an attack - including on the president of the Supreme Medical Council, who was refereeing to the conclusions of the presidential palace talk - stressing that sexual health is an integral component of human well-being, and knowledge is needed for young people at a developmental age. Deputy Education Minister Paulina Piechna-Więckiewicz also spoke critically about the idea in the media, saying that the regulations do not allow changes to the core curriculum.

However, the core curriculum can be changed - and this is being seriously considered at the moment. The MEN already signaled an evaluation of the solution and a decision to turn health education into a compulsory subject a year ago, when it announced the subject's optional status. The evaluation will take place literally within days, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka told TVN24 on Tuesday.

There is no doubt that health education, to make sense, must become mandatory. Attempting to introduce it in its current form would arouse a similar reaction to that of a year ago - the government wants to avoid this. Hence the idea of a compromise, which did not come out of the Presidential Palace at all - by the time Deputy Speaker Wielichowska talked about it at the government conference, it had already been widely discussed by politicians.

Topics related to sexual health would remain in schools as optional, implemented for a maximum of a few hours throughout the school year for students whose parents agree.