Rob Colquhoun

Parents are educators because they are parents (Gaudium et Spes 16). They are the first witnesses for their children as their guardians of freedom. Parents have the original, primary and inalienable obligation to be the principal and primary educators of their children. Their desires for religious convictions should be respected and education should be in conformity with their religious convictions. Parents should be able to train their children to have a responsible use of the media. The Church can offer assistance with the education of children but it should never unnecessarily usurp the role of principal educator. As the family is the arena for the formation of persons, the continuity of society depends on its strength.

In the United Kingdom certain cases have arisen whereby this self evident truth has been dismissed as anachronistic. Government guidelines allowing doctors to provide abortion advice or contraceptives to young people without their parent’s knowledge has been approved by the department of health. Sue Axon from Manchester lost her case in the high court in 2005 attempted to ensure parents are allowed to know. Victoria Gillick attempted to overturn DHSS guidelines in 1980 about the provision of confidential contraceptive treatment. Her case was dismissed in 1983, only to be overturned by an appeal court. But in 1985 the Lords upheld the right of doctors to prescribe contraceptives to girls under 16, without the consent of parents. It is sheer arrogance to presume that parents are not the best people to provide advice on contraceptives, STDs and abortion, and important that parents should be given rights over information for their families.