Parents of public school children have every reason to be concerned about the new Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) curriculum, says Freedom of Religion South Africa (FOR SA), after viewing the content which has been mired in controversy and secrecy.
Some of the content to which children will be exposed, and teachers will be expected to teach, is nothing less than “soft porn”, said Michael Swain executive director of FOR SA after getting sight this week of the curriculum content which is likely to be rolled out in public schools next year.
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The curriculum, which the Department of Basic Education has been pushing through without consultation with parents and teachers, was finally seen by FORSA after members of parliament pressed the department for access to the content at a meeting of the parliamentary portfolio committee on basic education on September 17.
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An inspection of the scripted lesson plans (SLPs) and educator guides reveals that Grade 4s will be expected to engage in group discussions to identify their (and others’) “private parts”. Grade 5s will be taught – using a graphically explicit scenario — about the risks of intrusive lesbian relationships, homosexual molestation and sexual assault.
Grade 6s will be asked their views on sexting topless photos on WhatsApp and Grade 8s will have their teacher describe what happens during vaginal, oral and anal sex.
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Educators are compelled to teach that sexual orientation is not a matter of choice and, of the sexual “heroes and role models” that children are encouraged to respect and imitate, four of five are HIV positive and three of five identify as LGBTQ. (The actual examples have not been included here as they are not suitable for sensitive viewers, but can be seen / downloaded by clicking here.)
“Of all subjects taught in schools, CSE is the most likely to make a lasting impact on children since they are at a highly impressionable age and often unable to process the information that they are given. For this reason, the rights of parents to raise their children according to their own values and beliefs must be therefore respected. They must be consulted and shown the materials to which their children will be exposed and, if this conflicts with the values they hold, they must have the right to pull their child/ren from the class,” says Swain.
Although the Department admitted to FOR SA in a meeting in June that there has been no meaningful consultation with the most critical stakeholders in the process (parents and teachers), they have nevertheless forged ahead and completed (with ministerial sign-off) all the SLPs and Educator Guides for grades 4 to 12.
They have gone ahead despite the fact that a Midline Report containing the results of a pilot study in five provinces, reveals that there is little to no support for the new CSE curriculum and that “traditional values” are seen as “key barriers” to its implementation throughout South Africa.
In terms of the report, many teachers expressed discomfort about delivering the content and many parents objected that the type of graphic and ideologically-laden content is completely inappropriate.
The Department’s project has been funded by, amongst others, USAID and involves a review of the old curriculum to incorporate UNESCO’s highly controversial International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE), contributed to by the notorious abortion agency Planned Parenthood.
The Department’s decision to incorporate ITGSE in the new curriculum comes despite scientific studies showing that the ITGSE curriculum and approach are ineffective in achieving its apparent objectives of curbing teenage pregnancy and the transmission of HIV and other STIs, and in fact do more harm than good — particularly in African contexts.
This is very disturbing news and totally unacceptable for children to be exposed to and on top of it all without consultation with the parents! Who gives them the authority to proceed with this???
Disappointing development in education. Chikdren must not be expised to such. Right of parents regarding sexual aspects ought to be respected. Protect the innocence of young children.
Fight this aggressively . This will ‘be highly detrimental to children and as a former educator I would be EXTREMELY angry and uncomfortsble at delivering this content to the children. It will affect many children’s sexuality for life. This is like offetjngvtgem porn and will lead to addiction . This is not a game but children’s lives.
This is beyond disgusting! I am actually writing a book at the moment on how to get free of an addiction to pornography, and here they go and introduce a form of it in the schools! Oh LORD, You are so right when You say that You will have to return early because if You don’t, there will be nothing left for You to return to. We are on a course of self destruction, and are inviting the evil one to come and take over our lives on a daily basis. If this is what education in the schools is coming to, I am SO RELIEVED that I have no children! Can I suggest to parents that if the likes of THIS happens, and the likes of the Demonic display at Grantleigh school that we all saw on WhatsApp – by the way that father is my hero! – then may I respectfully suggest that parents take their children out of the schools en masse, and home school them!
You talking to me dude?
This is absurd!! It is a blatant and ruthless attack on parents as well as children. Caring and concerned parents throughout this country should take their authority back by standing up and go to WAR against the #Education Department as well as the #UNAIDS who think they have the RIGHT to make decisions on behalf of parents on what to teach their children about sex and sexuality! !! It is a violation of the Constitutional Right of Parents, who were obliviously disregarded and intentionally excluded from the consultation process because the Minister of Education knew very well that parents will never have agreed to this. Therefore they went ahead without consulting the MOST IMPORTANT stakeholders of this process who is the PARENTS. I agree with the #ACDP that emphasis should be on improving the literacy at schools as well as the appalling conditions under which children receive their education daily. In this country we have a programme #Discipline Starts At Home that is running successfully in different provinces that will contribute immensely toward the social and moral issues facing families. The Minister should contact the Founder of this programme Mr. Quinton Adams a EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST and Lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch, lately known as The Shackbuilder, who has done outstanding work in different sqatter camps and informal settlements athroughout and disadvantaged communities throughout the country. It’s time for intelligent leadership who strive towards creating healthy communities in every aspect, emotionally, spiritually and physically.