But there’s a glaring gap in this new framework she’s put out for consultation, with ideas of what kids might be taught and when from year 1 to year 13.
I’ll come back to the glaring gap. But Erica Stanford is going into this with her eyes wide open, knowing how fraught this can be – with some parents thinking that it’s not a school’s job to teacher their kids about sex and relationships.
I’m the complete opposite. I think there is a role for parents in sex education, but it’s in the area of values. Because a curriculum can't teach values – that’s the sort of stuff kids learn from parents and caregivers.
So let the kids get a consistent sex education at school and let the parents discuss how what they’re being taught fits with their personal and family values.
I’ve had a read-through of the draft guidelines which are all about making sure kids up and down the country —from the time they start school at age 5 to whenever they finish school— are taught the same stuff at the same time about sex and relationships.
The Education Minister has been at pains to say that NZ First hasn’t had its hands on the drafting of the framework, but it may as well have.
Because I've read through the document and, from what I can see, the word “gender” is mentioned only once. And it’s not used in a way that means kids being confused about their gender identity.
There’s pretty much nothing in there about gender identity, but there should be. Because, whether we like it or not, there are kids crying out for this.
But that is something NZ First has been big on. With its demand —as part of its coalition deal with National— that the Government remove and replace the previous gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines.
And as a result of that, we have these new guidelines which are out for consultation.
But nothing in there about gender identity, which I think is a major shortcoming. Because, surely, our sex and relationship education needs to reflect the real-world, not one particular view of the world.
And, surely, kids who are struggling with this can only benefit from what they’re experiencing being acknowledged in the education they and their mates get.
I’m not expecting you to get that if you haven’t necessarily been through the experience of having a child with gender issues. I haven’t, but I know people who have. And I reckon that, unless we’ve been through that experience, we have no real idea about the need for this to be included in the curriculum.
I'm talking about the need for our sex education programme to be honest and realistic and to include some of the things that some of us would rather ignore.
John MacDonald is the Canterbury Mornings host on Newstalk ZB Christchurch. This article was first published HERE
I’m the complete opposite. I think there is a role for parents in sex education, but it’s in the area of values. Because a curriculum can't teach values – that’s the sort of stuff kids learn from parents and caregivers.
So let the kids get a consistent sex education at school and let the parents discuss how what they’re being taught fits with their personal and family values.
I’ve had a read-through of the draft guidelines which are all about making sure kids up and down the country —from the time they start school at age 5 to whenever they finish school— are taught the same stuff at the same time about sex and relationships.
The Education Minister has been at pains to say that NZ First hasn’t had its hands on the drafting of the framework, but it may as well have.
Because I've read through the document and, from what I can see, the word “gender” is mentioned only once. And it’s not used in a way that means kids being confused about their gender identity.
There’s pretty much nothing in there about gender identity, but there should be. Because, whether we like it or not, there are kids crying out for this.
But that is something NZ First has been big on. With its demand —as part of its coalition deal with National— that the Government remove and replace the previous gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines.
And as a result of that, we have these new guidelines which are out for consultation.
But nothing in there about gender identity, which I think is a major shortcoming. Because, surely, our sex and relationship education needs to reflect the real-world, not one particular view of the world.
And, surely, kids who are struggling with this can only benefit from what they’re experiencing being acknowledged in the education they and their mates get.
I’m not expecting you to get that if you haven’t necessarily been through the experience of having a child with gender issues. I haven’t, but I know people who have. And I reckon that, unless we’ve been through that experience, we have no real idea about the need for this to be included in the curriculum.
I'm talking about the need for our sex education programme to be honest and realistic and to include some of the things that some of us would rather ignore.
John MacDonald is the Canterbury Mornings host on Newstalk ZB Christchurch. This article was first published HERE
5 comments:
That children will be taught the same sex education at the same time doesn’t mean all children have the same mental capacity or maturity.
The Catholic Church teaches that sex education is the sole duty of a child’s parents. Only they know their child well enough to know what will be appropriate and at what time. Whenever other parties are involved it places the child at risk for grooming and sexual exploitation. I know from experience how this can destroy a child’s life.
When you learn that sexually transmitted diseases have never been scientifically proven to be such (see Dr Sam Bailey videos on syphillis, gonorrhoea, hpv, hiv etc) the pretence of any need for sex education at all disappears down the drain along with the need for “sexual health” clinics.
The author conflates sex-ed with mental health.
Gender identity issues have nothing to do with biological facts or who you are attracted to. If you feel like you’re a girl trapped in a boy’s body you are still a male & still heterosexual or same-sex attracted.
Further, we are talking about children - if left to just be kids & get educated on biological age-appropriate sex basics, over 90pct of kids outgrow any gender confusion anyway.
Teachers & parents should be supporting them just as they would if the kids had imaginary friends, or wanted to fly with fairies or train unicorns when they grow up. Allowing them to dress as the opposite sex etc is one thing, but to validate these feelings to the point of name changes, medical castration & life altering surgery is nothing short of child abuse.
Kids want & feel loads of things -with puberty making them literally certifiable if you look at their brain activity - that doesn’t mean we should act on them.
.>"When you learn that sexually transmitted diseases have never been scientifically proven to be such (see Dr Sam Bailey videos on syphillis, gonorrhoea, hpv, hiv etc)..."
For some recent background on struck-off Dr Samantha Bailey, see
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360623572/former-tv-doctor-was-had-her-medical-registration-cancelled-and-was-left-158k-bill-what-did-she
Re anon @ 12:03 - history has proven the Catholic Church is not the authority, nor should ever be the authority, on sex or education. Some parents & communities simply don’t have the objectivity to discuss sex-ed in an open & non-judgemental manner. Many can be just like the rainbow crowd - push doctrine & ideology rather than facts.
As parents we can guide our kids based on our own beliefs & values, but we cannot & should not try to force our kids to accept the same. God gave us free will & we should embody that in our parenting.
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