It appears that the new Education Minister, Anthony Garcia, has his priorities upside down.
In his very first statement after being sworn in as a minister, Mr Garcia said that religious education should be taught in schools, saying that this "is important, that is vital," while he asserted that sex education is "the responsibility of the parent."
In any sensible country, the opposite holds, with religious beliefs being a private matter that the State does not get involved in, whereas information about sex is taught to young people in schools.
Another inference from Mr Garcia's statement is that the children of non-believing parents and parents who consider themselves spiritual but non-religious will not have equal status with other students, since they will either be sidelined or indoctrinated in respect to moral teachings.
If the Minister does intend to make religion part and parcel of the school curriculum, then his oath taken as a Minister to treat with all people equally requires that non-believers also be provided with the opportunity to teach non-religious children in schools about morality without God, also called "Ethical Teaching."
If any moral education programme is implemented in schools, our Association stands ready to provide comprehensive guidelines as well as personnel for such classes.
T&T Humanist Association
www.humanist.org.tt