AUSTRALIA - Education authorities have been accused of instructing all Victorian government school teachers to "celebrate" homosexuality in the classroom.Furious family groups claimed the Department of Education and Training was "foisting" sexuality on children as young as prep.
The outcry was sparked by the department's anti-homophobic bullying policy which, referring to sexuality, states: "The most important thing teachers can do is create and continually model a school environment that respects and celebrates diversity."
School curriculums and teaching should be inclusive of the needs of same-sex-attracted and transgender students, the policy states.
Australian Family Association Victorian vice-president Angela Conway lashed out at an instruction to celebrate homosexuality in the classroom.
Ms Conway said the policy would have the reverse effect and, by highlighting sexuality, encourage bullying.
Discussion of sexuality could also confuse young children who were experiencing close childhood relationships with peers of the same sex, she said.
Australian Family Council spokesman Bill Muehlenberg said a pro-homosexual agenda was "trying to hijack the bullying programs to push a pro-homosexual policy on children. Younger kids are not worried or thinking about various sexual orientations."
Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said focusing on differences in sexuality could have a negative impact.
But Education Services Minister Jacinta Allan said the instruction was part of a strategy to prevent bullying.
from News.com Australia
No comments:
Post a Comment