On 8 June, the Minister of Education, Roman Giertych, dismissed the head of the National In-Service Teacher Training Center (CODN), Mr. Miroslaw Sielatycki. The cause for the dismissal was the publication of the book “Compass – A manual on human rights education with young people”, which, according to the Minister, encourages people to meet with homosexual organizations and promotes homosexuality. (14-JUNE-06)

Written by Marta Lempicka/HRH Warsaw

In the Minister’s decision we read that the publication: “discusses the issue of homosexual relationships as ones equal to a marriage between a woman and a man. The contents included in the publication allow a thesis to be put forward that a ban on homosexual marriages and adoption of children by homosexual couples may be considered as a manifestation of discrimination. Such contents contradict the basis for general education policy, and therefore cannot, under any circumstances, be presented in a manner that would formalize them as methodological materials for teachers”.             

The Minister’s decision stirred up numerous protests. In an open letter, the CODN staff writes that the book’s aim is not to promote homosexuality, but to teach respect for another person. The Helsinki Committee in Poland, in its letter to Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz , took note of the dangerous precedent that consists in questioning the values, on which the Council of Europe is based. The CODN also organized an internet campaign to collect signatures under the protest letter concerning the dismissal of director Sielatycki.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Terry Davis, asked the Polish government for explanations regarding this matter.

Compass is a manual on human rights education providing youth leaders, teachers and other educators, whether professionals or volunteers, with concrete ideas and practical activities to engage, involve and motivate young people to form a positive awareness of human rights in their own ways and in their own communities. The book is the official handbook of the Council of Europe regarding human rights. The Polish version, along with an introduction written by Mr. Terry Davis, came out in 2005 and was co-financed by the previous Minister of Education.  

The National In-Service Teacher Training Center (CODN) is a state-funded agency of the Ministry of National Education and Sport. Its mission is to support the development of a national system of teacher training in line with state educational policies.