Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

Activists from Student's Initiative held a protest in Warsaw against the Ministry of Education's "Zero Tolerance" program. This program is one of the cornerstones of a suite of ideologically-inspired moves by the fascistic, arch-conservative Minister of Education, Roman Giertych.

Part of the ideological program of the fascistic Al-Polish Youth, the organization which Giertych re-founded after years of inactivity, is to penetrate schools in different manners in order to indoctrinate youth in their values. These values include "God, Honor and Fatherland" - but also spill into the values recently propagated (note bene: in their mild form!) recently throughout Europe by the Giertychs - Roman and his father Maciej.

Roman, the Minister of Education, at a recent meeting of EU education ministers, announced that there should be something like a "European Card of Nationalities" which promotes certain ideas - like national identity. Also, he proposed a EU-wide ban on abortion and the "propagation of homosexuality". Maciej, a member of Europarliament published a scandalous booklet, "Civilisations at War in Europe", which is full of sexist, nationalist and anti-semitic sentiments.

This is what "Zero Tolerance" really means to Giertych. Among Giertych's many acts was to fire one of the heads of teaching training for using a textbook foe teachers that had a chapter encouraging teaching tolerance for sexual minorities. He has made that topic forbidden in public schools. Giertych has also been behind a wide-ranging campaign against the teachers' union ZNP.

"Zero Tolerance" as a slogan is also an attack on the slogan of "tolerance" promoted by those who promote cultural tolerance and tolerance towards sexual minorities. This reference is clear to everyone.

The whole idea of "Zero Tolerance" is actually a set of programic measures meant to turn kids into Giertych Jugend. After a series of high-profile violent events in school, Giertych announced that as sheriff he can clean things up - but of course this means that kids have to be whipped into shape. (This can even be literally as people from Giertych's party have openly called for a return of corporal punishment in schools.) All the kids need to be in uniforms, get religion, lessons in patriotism, etc. and delinquents (which is very broadly defined by Giertych) need to go to a military-type reform school.

Parts of this program are being presented to the public as a means of gaining support for the highly unpopular minister. It should be mentioned that an important propaganda tool for the Minister has been the facts that the Ministry has obtained EU funds for implementing this - although it is unclear exactly what the funds were given for and whether or not they won't be used to promote the Minister's form of patriotism and intolerance. So while the EU is "upset" about the words of the Giertychs, it is actually part of the plan which is his only hope of staying in power.