KYIV – The Supreme Council of Ukraine has registered a bill on making alterations to the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Worship and Religious Organizations” as to the social support of students and teachers of spiritual institutions, reports the Institute of Religious Freedom.

The author of the bill, Volodymyr Marushchenko (Christian Democratic Union party), proposes to grant students, teachers, and workers of spiritual educational institutions the same rights and social guarantees as those enjoyed by students and workers of private educational institutions.

The current law grants students of spiritual educational institutions only some social guarantees and allows them to enjoy “rights and benefits in the postponement of military service, taxation, inclusion of education in the working experience according to the procedure and conditions envisaged for students and pupils of state educational institutions.”

According to the deputy Volodymyr Marushchenko, “the constitutional principle of equality of citizens regardless of their religious beliefs is violated.”