E-Petition Gets Ministry to Engage Parents in Sex Ed

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2009 Posted: 6:50:10PM HKT

A literally increasing number of parents are getting involved in an online campaign to get the Minister of Education to give them and many others the assurance that the fiasco with the Aware comprehensive sexuality education programme will not be repeated in Singapore schools.

Initiated by a concerned parent, the online petition highlighted the worry of many parents that children in as many as eleven schools were being taught that homosexuality is a sexual orientation and that sodomy is healthy and morally-neutral through the non-governmental organisation’s CSE exercise. It pointed out the risks associated with homosexual practices, such as higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS among such groups among many other concerns.

The e-petition also urged the Minister of Education to ensure that schools exercise greater care in approving and using sexuality programmes in future, that parents are informed more substantially about the contents and values of such programmes so that they can give a fully informed consent for their children to undergo the exercise and that schools develop programmes that engage parental involvement.

Some signatories added their comments along with their signatures. Many of them expressed their shock, disbelief and even anger at the MOE for having allowed the programme to be taught in schools and called for the ministry to cease the programme at once.

“[T]his is a serious threat to the sanctity of marriage and the future of families in Singapore,” stated ho sun yee.

Florence tay said, “Children are not able to discern well. Please protect our children.”

Another parent expressed that permitting the CSE programme to be taught in schools was a direct contradiction of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sodomy.

Though the new Aware exco is likely to revamp the CSE programme, there is a concern that homosexual activists plan to vote out the new leaders in an imminent extraordinary general meeting to be held on Saturday at the Suntec City convention hall.

The online appeal has gathered 1,141 signatures at the time of this report and the number continues to grow.

To sign the concerned parents’ appeal to the Minister of Education, click here.

Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com