Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Australia: Shocking Sex Ed Curriculum

(Queensland, Australia) Associate Professor Anne Mitchell of La Trobe University created a sex education website which has shocked parents despite being endorsed by government overseers at Education Queensland.
PRIMARY school students are being told abortion can be "a relief" and hormones make you "feel sexy" on a website endorsed by Education Queensland.

Outraged parent groups are demanding the State Government immediately withdraw its endorsement, warning the website is inappropriate and even dangerous for pre-teens. But educators argue it is a valuable, fun tool that helps children entering their teens learn about their bodies.

The controversial site, thehormonefactory.com, has been approved as a student resource for Queensland Year 7 classes.

Set up by La Trobe University, it uses cartoons to tell 10 to 12-year-olds why certain hormones give them "sexy thoughts" and start making them "interested in sex".

It asks students if they think "a six-inch penis is normal" and if they believe "13 is too young to have a baby".

Students are told it can be a relief if a woman has a termination.

Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Associations president Margaret Black yesterday sought a meeting with Education Queensland's head of curriculum.

"We can understand that children will ask questions, however the answers on the website are far too detailed, not tasteful and are too advanced for primary students," Ms Black said.
Not tasteful, eh? I'll say. I'll also say it's ironic that the some of the same people who complain about the moral decay of contemporary youth are endorsing the seemingly "let's teach immorality to 10-year-olds" website.

The teachers union president and a spokesperson for Education Queensland said that individual teachers should assure that the sex curriculum is suitable for their classes.

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