The rights of parents to raise and pass on their beliefs and values to their children

3-minute read
31 March 2023 | 22:26 CAT

Photo credit – BetterUp

Freedom of Religion South Africa’s Executive Director says government must not override the right and responsibility of parents to bring up their children in conformity with their own religious, moral or philosophical convictions, beliefs and values. Michael Swain was speaking about the right of parents to raise and pass on their beliefs and values to their children, which is a crucial element of the right to religious freedom.

In a conversation with Radio Islam International, Michael Swain said increasingly under attack on a global level, the government seems to think they have the right to ensure that children are raised according to their values and thoughts.

Education has become one of the main battlegrounds in parental rights.

Pre 1994, under the apartheid regime, the state decided everything about education. According to Swain, there was a clean break in the new South Africa, as per the basics education’s white policy paper. It mainly states parents have an inalienable right to choose a form of education best suited for their children.

“In a nutshell South Africa is bound to recognise and protect parental rights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Looking outside of South Africa, we can observe some of the international trends where parental rights are negatively affected in Canada, where a father was jailed for six months after speaking out about his biological daughter’s gender transformation.

There are also reports in Norway and other Scandinavian countries of around 4 to 5 children being taken from their parents daily.

Listen to the full interview with Annisa Essack on Your World Today.