Smarting from their defeat, a group of likeminded people (parents and others) who are more or less allied to the ideas of Thio Su-Mien, Josie Lau and company have bombarded MOE with allegations about AWARE's Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) "promoting" homosexuality, pre-martial sex, etc. by the mere mention of them in neutral terms.
Neutral because the course is supposed to give students the facts AND encouraged them to think about actions and consequences.
But knowing how "some people" operate, they chose to take certain lines from the material out of context, blow it out of proportion and go "LOOK!! SEE!! AWARE is promoting homosexuality, pre-martial sex, etc. by not using negative terms against it!!"
It has even spilt over to JC General Paper (GP) lessons, which is kind of stupid and sad considering that in GP lessons, students are made to think through and analyse topics of the day. These include terrorism, religious fundamentalism, etc. etc.
The main point is to get them to think. But some paranoid and overprotective parents are so afraid that the mere mention and discussion of homosexuality will turn their JC kids gay. Gosh... I guess there should be a lot of new terrorists and religious fundies in JC by now.
This whole episode shows the absurdity of Singapore's education and parents' expectations. First we complain that our kids and university graduates don't know how to think, analyse, write properly and have knowledge and opinions about current issues of the day. Then we scream in horror when teachers try to equip them with the skills necessary to do so.
I mean like what do we expect GP teachers to do? Discuss less controversial topics like water desalination, COE prices and state of canteen food?
But parents being parents will always see their children as kids who need to be protected and guided regardless of how old they are. Not realising that kids are way much smarter than we give them credit for. They do have an opinion and they don't take everything at face value.
And as for the CSE programme, if they don't get their knowledge from school with the right tools to make informed and responsible decisions, guess where they are going turn to?
The internet of course!
And that should worry parents much more than CSE and GP teachers discussing "controversial" topics. Because if parents have actually been on the 'net, they should know that nothing there is regulated. Information, misinformation, hard core pornography and all that would turn their gut inside out is available to all who search for them.
Without the necessary knowledge and with misinformation from the 'net and hear-say from their peers who may be just as ignorant as them, one shouldn't be surprised if they start experimenting with disastrous results.
Ignorance or innocence, your choice.
Anyway, I think this post by a GP teacher who is in the know more than me has said more than I could. It was forwarded to me by a friend and I have posted it on my "Stolen Goods" blog (with full credit). Check it out here.
Labels: education, lgbt, religion, singapore
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To make things clear, though I may have been born into a Christian family, I am an atheist and see things from that perspective.
Parents have a right to be concerned. But like I said, ignorance or innocence.
Just to let you know, my comment applies to parents who may be from different religions or beliefs. It is not written from a perspective of any religion. Ignorance or innocence, they should be able to make an informed decision.
I can't speak for Lucy but in my critique http://www.vtaide.com/blessing/AWARE-cse.htm, I made no reference to Christianity nor draw support/argument from Christianity.
Having said that, I have disagreements with some points you made. Notably point 3: "There is no need to explain causes of heterosexuality, it is natural but not so with homosexuality."
But then again, I am sure you know I will disagree with that lah. =) And of course both of us can show contrary evidence to back our views and debate till our faces turn blue, and at the end, be back at square 1. Same with the lifestyle choice argument, etc. etc.