VENEZUELA: IS FREEDOM OF THOUGHT IN EDUCATION RESPECTED?

Are the Supreme Court Justices biased in the discharge of their Duties?

Is the Independence of the Judicial Career respected?

Do Venezuelan Courts respect Constitutional Law principles?

Is the Supreme Court at the service of the Administration?

Is the National Electoral Council (CNE) an Impartial Body?

Does the CNE Address The Interests of Civil Society or those of the Government?

Does the National Electoral Council Act In Conformity to the law?

Is voting by way of electronic machines reliable?

Does the Permanent Electoral Register (REP) contain true and precise information?

Are the media really independent?

Does the Penal Code limit freedom of expression?

Are journalists persecuted, threatened or harassed because of the way they cover the news?

Have the human rights of the April 2002 victims been respected and have those responsible been indicted?

Does discrimination on political grounds exist in Venezuela?

Is freedom of thought in education respected?

Is venezuelan citizen's private life respected?

Are human rights violated in Venezuela ?

Are those active in the defense of democracy in Venezuela persecuted and imprisoned?

Are there political prisoners in Venezuela ? Are people persecuted for political reasons?

Is the Executive ruling under a military style?

Is the political parties system declining in Venezuela?

Are traditional trade-union organizations being respected?

Is the civil society allowed to exercise the functions conferred by the Constitution?

Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms

IS FREEDOM OF THOUGHT IN EDUCATION RESPECTED?

1. The Government has been carrying out an Education Reform Plan geared towards what is called the Bolivarian Educational Community. Such Plan is based on a document (Inquietudes y Propuestas de Tabor) that the Minister of Education and Sports acknowledges as a mere draft aimed at enacting a resolution, which the Minister also defines as a draft, that would lead to the establishment of the said Bolivarian Educational Community. The document points out the need to insure that "strategic directorial posts are reserved to those professionals who identified with and are committed to the Bolivarian Process. They will guarantee the implementation of policies and measures in favor of an education of excellence for all, capable of inducing transformations and geared towards the creation of the New Bolivarian Republican". The drafters of the project state that " . those teaching positions already gained, as well as the knowledge gained in order to assist the transformation, may be lost if their consolidation is done through the existing mechanisms", that is to say, through the 'Rules and Regulations for the Practice of the Profession of Educator'. They thereby urge the Minister to " . grant legal grounding - whether by way of a Ministerial Decree or Regulation - to those activities carried out by temporary personnel, who are, at large, committed to the transformation and will allow the process to continue with lower professional requirements, experience and professional level."

2. The idea is to control all public and private educational institutions by way of granting permanent status to all temporary personnel named by the Ministry of Education, who might not comply with the Regulations for the Practice of the Profession of Educator but are committed to the revolutionary process. Such Rules and Regulations are an old achievement of Venezuelan educators, dating from the mid 20th Century. They establish the principle that, whatever a teacher's political position, promotions will be based exclusively on professional qualifications and on satisfaction of the established excellence requirements.

3. Another goal of the Draft Resolution on the Organization and Operation of Educational Communities is to engage non-educational actors into the process by declaring them to be members of the Educational Community.