Qld sex education website crosses the line on parental responsibility

Glynis Quinlan
Australian Christian Lobby

April 8, 2009

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today called on the Queensland Education Minister to withdraw his department’s endorsement of a school sex education website for 10-12 year-olds, saying it clearly crossed the line between educating children and presenting value-laden material which would be abhorrent to many parents.

ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said it was completely inappropriate for the Education Department or individual teachers to make use of material which taught primary school children that, among other things, you don’t need to be in love to have sex, abortion can be “a relief”, and it is normal to be gay or bisexual.

“Children aged 10-12 are at a very vulnerable stage in their development and schools shouldn’t be presenting contestable ideas or values to them that their parents might not agree with,” Mr Wallace said.

“There is a vast difference between sensitively and factually informing students about their development and instructing them on the way they should think on moral and relational issues.

“It is disturbing that the Parents & Citizens Association hasn’t been given a role in approving or disapproving sex education materials in recent times and this clearly needs to be rectified.

“However there is an immediate need for The Hormone Factory website to be removed from the Queensland Education Department’s list of acceptable resources and for the Government to put steps in place to ensure that sex education isn’t becoming relationship values education.”

Mr Wallace said that comments from Queensland Opposition education spokesman Bruce Flegg about the website information being consistent with questions asked by 10-12 year-olds were off the mark.

“The questions may be consistent with those asked by some children, but the answers certainly aren’t appropriate. Should a teacher really be instructing children on masturbation and abortions, and the wrongs and rights of having sex outside of a loving relationship?” Mr Wallace asked.

Media Contact: Glynis Quinlan on 0408 875 979