TEACHING, FREEDOM OF. — It is one of the applications of natural law, namely, the right of the possessor of the truth to communicate it to others. The exercise of this freedom is subject to limits imposed by natural law itself, which are: possession of the requisite knowledge, honesty in what is taught, and fairness in the manner of teaching. It is evident that one has no right to teach what is false or evil, and that one who wishes to teach must not obstruct the exercise of the same right in others nor resort to coercion to gain disciples, thereby violating the right of others to choose other teachers.
More commonly, freedom of teaching is understood as one of the most hotly debated political freedoms in modern times, namely, the right of every citizen to establish schools and to receive from the State recognition and a specific subsidy for an effective educational program, while the State retains the right of inspection and supervision over standards of hygiene, public order and morality, and educational outcomes. This is how freedom of teaching is practiced, for example, in Belgium. Elsewhere, as also in Italy according to the recent Constitution, it is understood as the right to establish schools permitted by the State under certain conditions, which may, after inspection, be “parified” (i.e., made legally equivalent) to State schools for the purposes of attendance and examinations; however, the Constitution excludes State financial support for such schools. This amounts to a concession by the State rather than the genuine recognition of a right to teach. The principle remains that the right to organize schools, if not exclusive, is at least primarily vested in the State, whereas such a right belongs by nature equally to all who are capable of exercising it, whether as individuals or as collective entities (families, private societies, charitable institutions, parishes, dioceses, religious orders, municipalities, provinces, the State, and the Church). Moreover, the State has the duty to provide schooling wherever others fail to do so, and it always retains the duty and right to supervise and inspect, as already noted. True freedom of teaching further requires that the State contribute to the expenses of all schools that satisfactorily fulfill their mission (verified by a special magistracy), distributing among them, whether State-run or not, a portion of the public funds earmarked for national education in proportion to the number of pupils. This is a matter of equity, for it is unjust that those who do not send their children to State schools should bear the costs for those who do; and it respects the principle of freedom of choice, which is a natural right of the family, a freedom that would otherwise be hindered or practically nullified by the heavier financial burden of non-State education (see also SCHOOL, FREEDOM OF THE).