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Buenos Aires, Sunday, October 22, 2006

Father Oscar Pezzarini

To educate or getting educated?

For a long time different alternatives of sex education at schools have been deviced, and even laws have been passed in order to institute compulsory curricula starting at the very beginning of children's school education. Many times, if not to say most of the times, these laws do not take into account the irreplaceable role of the family in the comprehensive education of their children, and as such in sex education which should classify as “education for love”. I wonder why the family is not included, why something is “assumed” without looking for the means and the ways for parents to “educate” themselves on this matter so as first responsibles they can be the authors of their children's education, taking into account that the rest of institutions (schools, society, churches, etc.) collaborate in the educating task. I don't agree with “sex education” which only tries to explain how to perform certain acts with the least possible risks, or which fulfil certain interests; but I side with “education for love” as a value suitable for those whom God gave that capability for love which makes Man devote himself freely and without selfishness, because full happiness can be found through devotion, but of course in order to find it we must first find out if as adults we have been “educated”, so this way we are able to “educate”.

For a long time different alternatives of sex education at schools have been deviced, and even laws have been passed in order to institute compulsory curricula starting at the very beginning of children's school education.

Maybe what is most questionable of these inducements which turn into laws is that they only refer to a partial aspect, since as they refer to “sex education” the impression remains that they reduce everything to a merely “genital” issue, teaching how to perform certain acts without any risk.

Many times, if not to say most of the times, these laws do not take into account the irreplaceable role of the family in the comprehensive education of their children, and as such in sex education which should classify as “education for love”. I wonder why the family is not included, why something is “assumed” without looking for the means and the ways for parents to “educate” themselves on this matter so as first responsibles they can be the authors of their children's education, taking into account that the rest of institutions (schools, society, churches, etc.) collaborate in the educating task.

When talking about education for love, which is what the Church suggests by talking and proposing for many years, the Church doesn't want us to forget the main issue of the human being, the capability “to love and to be loved” which includes sex as the maximum expression but which cannot just be reduced to sex as a mere instrument of pleasure, but as complete integration of the human being.

I can't avoid the feeling that when we adults decide about the type of education we want for our children we don't consider in depth the type of education we got ourselves, and forget to “aim high” since we run the risk of thinking that children, teens and young people are not interested in great goals, as meant by truly understood love which results in full devotion, in a full giving of oneself instead of in pure egotism which satisfies the strongest and lowest desires. Maybe we “underestimate” them in this point, or maybe we just remember what we have learned or experienced ourselves, or it may be a matter of convenience of only porposing “low goals” as a way of avoiding a deeper commitment.

I don't agree with “sex education” which only tries to explain how to perform certain acts with the least possible risks, or which fulfil certain interests; but I side with “education for love” as a value suitable for those whom God gave that capability for love which makes Man devote himself freely and without selfishness, because full happiness can be found through devotion, but of course in order to find it we must first find out if as adults we have been “educated”, so this way we are able to “educate”.

Father Oscar Pezzarini
Provincial Superior of the Work of Don Orione in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico

Father Oscar Pezzarini together with Fr. Leonardo Abregú makes us reflect on Saturdays from 8 to 12 AM (GMT-03:00)with "VENTANA A LA VIDA", the Don Orione radio program he conducts on FM PROVIDENCIA, 90.3 MHz together with some residents of the Claypole Cottolengo (Raúl Romero, María Laura Andrada, Alberto Zoroch, Américo Torres), with the production of Roberto Beluzzo and Ignacio Cavalli as technical operator. You can also listen to FM PROVIDENCIA by clicking here.

Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione 0800-333-6746 in Argentina, or +54 (11) 4268-7722 from abroad.

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