[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Guardian

Religious schooling amendment approved by Aelurian Parliament
29th January 2020

An amendment to the act governing private schooling in Aeluria has been passed by the Aelurian Parliament which will allow religious private schools to open on the island, which will be the first religious schools in Lauchenoiria since 1952. The change has been long-awaited by the Lurian community on the island, as similar laws have been blocked in the past by the Lauchenoirian Supreme Court.

Members of the Lurian religious community on Aeluria, the majority religion on the island, have long sought permission for their children to pray in school, which has been illegal since the 1952 communist revolution. Unlike mainland Lauchenoiria, where the majority of people are now atheists, Aeluria has strong religious traditions which has long been a point of contention between the island and the mainland, and was a major factor in their push for independence.

Lurian campaigners hope that after the passage of a new constitution in 2019, the law will be accepted as under the new constitution, only state-funded institutions must remain secular. However, a legal challenge has already been launched by the Lauchenoirian Atheist Association and the Communist Party. A spokesperson from the Aelurian Independence Party (AIP) who sponsored the bill has said the party is ‘confident’ the legal challenge will fail.

Under the new law, religious groups will be allowed to set up private schools on the island from the 2020/2021 academic year onwards, but such schools will still need to follow certain compulsory aspects of the curriculum. Pupils in religious schools will still be taught about other religions, and teenagers must also receive sex education. However, in these schools, prayer will be permitted and schools may take pupils to religious services – both things which are banned in state-funded schools.

Plans for several Lurian schools have already been submitted, along with plans from one Christian group which intends to start a boarding school if permission is given. The school would aim to attract students from Christian families across Lauchenoiria, as religious schooling on the mainland is still illegal – a policy which is unlikely to change anytime soon. It is expected there will be a lot of demand for Lurian schools across the island.