Normally, Religion teachers are not aware of the appointments for this type of positions. But it seemed appropriate to focus on this news today, because it seems significant to me.
Raquel Pérez Sanjuán is the current Technical Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. She has just been appointed by the Minister of Education, Isabel Celaá, for a period of four years, member of the State School Council, a position held by relevant personalities within the world of education.
In this case, the appointment of Raquel Perez responds to the space that has usually been occupied by a representative proposed by the Episcopal Conference and that had been vacant since Juan Antonio Gomez Trinidad, a man who, due to his worth, became vice president of the School Board.
Normalization of EEC presence
The appointment of Raquel Perez is undoubtedly good news, firstly, because of the normalization of a situation regarding the presence of the EEC in this body. And secondly, it is important because of the key moment we are living in education in Spain with the processing of the new education law. In other keys, it is also a recognition of the work of the current technical secretary and the impetus that the EEC has given to the negotiations with the Ministry of Education. Let us remember the novel proposal that the EEC made to the Ministry at the beginning of the summer, with an integrating model for the integral formation of the students, in which religious education was included. For all this we can only rejoice.
This is good news in the midst of so many other negative ones. Because the educational battle is now crouched and waiting for crucial movements such as the approval of the Royal Decrees that specify the LOMLOE and the application in the different Autonomies, very important given the educational competences that have been transferred. In all these areas we can expect nothing but a hard battle for the Religion class. For example, there is a button to prove it. Just look at what is happening in La Rioja and the contempt to which this Government is subjecting Religion teachers.
Let us hope that the appointment of Raquel Pérez Sanjuán by the Ministry is more than a wink, and that it implies a less belligerent and more collaborative position than the one we have seen so far.
