World News
Bishops offer parents guidelines to opt out of public school programs
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SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- The California Catholic bishops' conference is alerting parents and guardians of public school children that they have the right to "opt out" of many influences and classes that contradict their family's values -- from instruction in how to perform sexual acts to the ins and outs of witchcraft and the conjuring of spirits. The California Catholic Conference says most parents don't realize they need to specifically fill out a form every year for every child and for every activity they find objectionable. "This is a way to empower parents to get involved," said Ned Dolejsi, Catholic conference executive director. "From Catholic teaching, we understand that parents are the primary teachers of their children." At least nine of every 10 Catholic children in California attend public schools, with the figures even higher for Latino families, which send about 3 percent of their children to parochial schools, according to national statistics. The Catholic Conference guidelines, available at http://cacatholic.org/index.php/topics/education.html, are written in Spanish and in English. Under California law, school districts are permitted to dismiss students in seventh grade and up for "confidential medical services," without parental notification and without logging any absence. Those services can include AIDS testing or treatment, birth control, or abortion.
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