FREEDOM OF TEACHING. - It is one of the applications of natural right, that is, the right that he who possesses the truth has to communicate it to others. The exercise of such freedom receives from natural right itself certain limits, which are: the possession of due knowledge, honesty in what is taught, and harmlessness in the manner of teaching. It is evident that one does not have the right to teach what is false or evil, and that whoever wishes to teach must not disturb the exercise of the same right by others, nor use coercion to obtain disciples, thereby violating their right to choose other teachers.
More commonly, by freedom of teaching is meant one of the political freedoms most debated in modern times, that is, the right of every citizen to organize schools and to receive from the State recognition and a monetary subsidy proportionate to the actual performance of those schools, while the right of inspection and supervision always remains with the State with regard to the norms of hygiene, order and public morality, and with regard to educational results. Thus 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 maintain schools permitted under certain conditions by the State, which may also "grant them parity" with government schools, after inspection, for the legal effects of attendance and examinations; but the Constitution excludes the State from contributing to the expenses of such schools. Thereby one has a concession by the State rather than the true and proper recognition of a right to teach. That is, there remains the principle of a right — if not exclusive, then preeminent — in the State to organize the school; whereas such a right belongs by nature equally to all those who have the capacity to do so, whether individual persons or collective persons (families, private societies, charitable institutions, parishes, dioceses, religious Orders, municipalities, provinces, the State and the Church). The State has, moreover, the duty to supply wherever others do not provide, and it always has the duty and the right to supervise and inspect, as has been said. True freedom of teaching further requires that the State contribute to the expenses of all schools that satisfactorily fulfill their task (which must be verified by means of a specially appointed magistracy), distributing among them, governmental or not, in proportion to the number of pupils, the money that from the total of public contributions is set aside for the expenses of national education. This is for reasons of equity, since it is not equitable that one who does not send his children to government schools should pay the expenses for those who do send them there; and out of respect for the principle of freedom of choice, which is a natural right of the family — a freedom evidently hindered or practically annulled by the greater financial burden that derives from not making use of government schools (v. also SCUOLA, LIBERTÀ della).
Bibliography15 works
Giuseppe Bozzetti