The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that requests that the Ministry of Education (Minerd) make obligatory the reading of the Bible in the nation’s schools after the singing of the National Anthem. This process is contemplated under Law 44-00 that amended General Education Law 66-97, and the deputies feel that such readings would contribute to a lower rate of vandalism and other anti-social acts by young persons.
The Ministry of Education has not made the measure obligatory because Art. 45 of the Constitution establishes freedom of conscience and religion in the Dominican Republic. The article states: “The state guarantees the freedom of conscience and religion, subject to the need for public order and respect for public morals.”
The bill says that “the Christian development of the boys and girls and adolescents helps them form criteria and behavior that are capable of stopping influences and behavior models that lead to perversity and licentiousness.” The deputies emphasized that the Dominican educational system is based on the Christian principles seen in the Gospels as evidenced on the national shield that features an open Bible and the words “God, Fatherland and Freedom.”
The bill still has to pass in the Senate to become law.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Ley 44-00
10 June 2019