Education Minister in Chile withdraws offensive teacher’s manual

Santiago, Chile, Oct 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Education Minister of Chile decided this week to withdraw more than 1,000 copies of a manual for school officials because it contained a direct attack on the Catholic Church from a feminist perspective.

The manual, which was to serve as a guide for principals and directors of public and private schools that receive government funding, included a chapter entitled, “Women Throughout History,” which claimed that the Bible promotes “hatred of women” and that the Catholic Church encourages “genocide against women.”

The 100-page document was supposedly intended to increase students’ knowledge and understanding of juvenile rights, civic participation, leadership, and integration into society after high school.

The feminist section was part of an addendum of proposed resources, and was based on a doctoral thesis by two university students.

The president of the Committee on Education of the Chilean Bishops Conference, Bishop Ricardo Ezzati, sent an official complaint to the Education Minister, Sergio Vitar, who promised to investigate the matter.

After reading the chapter, Vitar ordered the immediate withdrawal of the manual.  He called the section “improper,” adding that “a few pages from a doctoral thesis by two students” did not belong in an official government manual.