The course of the controversy: The Government endorses a sex education course coordinated by a deacon

PalmThe decision by the Ministry of Education to promote a teacher training course entitled The role of religion in sexual and affective education: new perspectives This has ignited a debate about the possible introduction of religious moral ideology into education, especially in public schools. Despite being an official course, the initiative is generating concern among teachers' unions and associations, who denounce the risk of conditioning students' perspectives on relationships and sexuality based on a specific confessional and moral viewpoint. They consider this incompatible with the principles of neutrality and pluralism that govern the education system and are extensively established by current legislation—the LOM (Organic Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health) refers to "affectivity and sexuality" eight times. The Regional Ministry of Education, through the Ibiza Teacher Training Center (CEP), has scheduled the course from March 3 to 31, 2026. It is aimed at secondary and high school religion teachers, primary school teachers, and secondary and high school teachers in general. Coordination is being handled by Pedro Miguel Ramírez Sánchez, permanent deacon of Ibiza and advisor on Catholic Religion at the CEP. A figure who combines weighty religious and institutional responsibilities.

The instructors who will teach the course are linked to bioethics and Catholic doctrine, and two of them are affiliated with the Abilio de Gregorio Chair of Bioethics, Sexuality, and Fertility at the Catholic University of Ávila. According to the Chair's documentation, two of its objectives are "to promote a culture of life from its beginning to its end, especially in the moments when it is most vulnerable" and "to foster truth in the face of relativism and the lack of paradigms in our society," promoting a vision of sexuality within a Catholic moral framework.

It is important to remember the Church's opposing stance, for example, regarding abortion. Sexual diversity is also questioned in some sectors. The instructors will be Antonio Castillo Talavera, director of the sexuality and fertility program at the Catholic University of Ávila, professor of Bioethics, and director of the aforementioned Chair; María Eugenia Huete Santiago, a specialist in sexuality and fertility awareness methods and secretary of the chair; and Pedro Antonio Pacheco Martínez, a medical doctor with a master's degree in Bioethics and Education, and experience in philosophy, science, and religion.

As for the course content, it includes aspects such as sexuality and affectivity in personality development; the keys to developing affectivity from a Christian worldview; the progressive nature of students' affective maturation; and the development of activities for affective-sexual education. The objectives focus on offering a comprehensive view of sexuality within the Catholic Religion class, fostering students' affective-sexual development, and exploring how, through this subject, teachers can contribute to students experiencing this dimension responsibly. The methodology alternates between face-to-face sessions, videoconferences, and online work on Moodle, with practical application in the classroom whenever possible.

Sexuality is already being discussed in classrooms

This debate becomes even more relevant when compared to the reality in classrooms. Primary and secondary school curricula incorporate affective and sexual education across the curriculum, with a secular, scientific, and inclusive approach, as stipulated by the LOMLOE (Organic Law for the Modification of the Organic Law on Education). In 3rd year ESO Biology, for example, the concepts of sex and sexuality are addressed with an emphasis on freedom, sexual diversity, and gender equality, and promote responsible sexual practices and the prevention of diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Affective education is also addressed from the perspective of equality, assertiveness, body care, and respect for diversity. The subject of Civic and Ethical Values Education reinforces its affective and sexual dimension, in addition to respect for diversity and democratic coexistence. However, in the new curricula, the Regional Ministry of Education reduced its teaching hours to 4th year ESO, to only one hour per week (previously two). In Primary school, we go even further, and all areas of the curriculum promote equality, emotional and sexual health and respect for diversity, with a cross-cutting and integrative approach.

The announcement of the course has generated immediate reactions. UOB was the first to denounce it, questioning the Church's legitimacy to offer training on sexuality and relationships and demanding its withdrawal in defense of a secular educational model. Similarly, the Ibiza Professional Teachers' Association (APDE) and the Professional Teachers' Association state that the course "violates the principles of ideological neutrality, secularism, and pluralism that should govern the public education system," and warn that subordinating sex education to religious approaches could lead to moralizing perspectives. They also warn that introducing religious content into public education could create a "serious" precedent.

Scientific Evidence

Teachers' unions and associations agree that public education should not be a space for ideological or religious promotion, but rather an instrument at the service of equality, critical thinking, and democratic coexistence. In this sense, they warn that courses like the one proposed by the Ibiza Teacher Training Center (CEP) could derail the objective of sex education based on scientific evidence and human rights, and could introduce a single moral vision that does not reflect the plurality and diversity of society. The planned course highlights the persistent tension between, on the one hand, teacher training based on rights, evidence, and diversity, and, on the other, a religious orientation that seeks to transmit a specific view of sexuality and relationships. Despite its institutional formality, many teachers believe that, if implemented, the initiative could influence how students approach their own relationships and sexuality, potentially jeopardizing the principles of neutrality, plurality, and inclusion that should govern education.