Compulsory sex education slated

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33451, 5 February 1974, Page 16

Compulsory sex education slated

».X.Z Press Association 1 NEW PLYMOUTH. Proposed compulsory sex education in schools would drive a wedge between children and parents, said the secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards (.Miss Patricia Bartlett) on Saturday evening. Miss Bartlett, in an address prepared for delivery to a public meeting in New Plymouth. said that children would get the impression that their parents know nothing about the subject if their teacher had to provide sex education. “It has never been so important for a mother to win her child’s confidence on this subject as it is today.” she said “Many parents doing a good job in this area will slacken off. as they will believe they are not educated enough to handle a subject in which they have had vears of practical experience in their married lives.” Miss Bartlett said that New Zealand thought it led the Pacific in education and material comforts for young people "but we are on the bottom of the ladder as regards teaching genuine love, self-control. respect for womanhood, and human dignity.” there was, she said, a section of the community — which she believed was misguided — who believed that the cure for social ills related to promiscuity was to introduce a compulsory, extensive sex-education programme in which God was not mentioned. “This sex education is proposed for all New Zealand schools. State and private, from kindergarten to Form VIL” she said

In 1973, the DirectorGeneral of Education had chosen a committee of 12 to formulate a discussion paper on sex education, which was; released in December last. Only one of the committee was working in the South Island and a good proportion of the committee were not educated in New Zealand but were immigrants. Miss Bartlett said. Although the majority of independent schools were run by the Roman Catholic school system. neither of the two selected independent school representatives were from the Roman Catholic system. After quoting parts of the report. Miss Bartlett said that, in her opinion, they would “open the gates wide for teachers with permissive values to spread them in our schools.” “Already, some principals are permitting transvestites and homosexuals to address their pupils,” Miss Bartlett said. "In my opinion, this proposed programme has no holds barred. The experi-; ences of Sweden, Britain, and the United States have shown that this subject cannot be controlled.” More parents than ever, before were instructing their children conscientiously. “Why then this move to follow' countries which have disastrously taken the personal instruction of children out of the parents' hands?” Miss Bartlett said. 1 "Surely this is a move to undermine parental rights i and responsibilities?” Miss Bartlett asked why! there was no provision by! the Departments of Education; or Health to educate parents i who might be diffident on the isubject of sex education. “At; ■night school there are classes' on virtually' everv subject,” l she said. “Why not one entitled ‘How to give sex education'?”

There was no provision for | parents to remove their child-! ren from the proposed com-; pulsory sex-education classes;! and. in fact, the committee, opposed the withdrawal of! anv children. "In my opinion, parents do! have the democratic right to, withdraw their children from! such lessons, the same as! they have the right to with-: draw their children from re-; ligious lessons,” Miss Bart-! left said. Each individual I made up the New Zealand community and set its standards. “If each concerned citizen continues to remain silent and unorganised, permissiveness is going to stamp New' Zealand’s traditional standards.” Miss Bartlett said. “Don’t let the loudmouths brainwash our society.” Dr Michael Harry, a mem-i ber of the Scandinavian!

■Lutheran Church and a 'specialist in gynaecology and! 'obstetrics at the University! lof Copenhagen, spoke at the 1 ; meeting of the “over-sexed (society’’ of Denmark, and ofi his solution to the problems! in such countries. Sex education was compulsory in Denmark, he said. It :was encouraging sexual! intercourse. “The whole idea! lof marriage is being des-! jtroyed tn Sweden and Denmark,” he said. “I don’t blame children of 14 or 15 living! together. I don’t blame the parents of the society'. I put the blame on myself and my church.” Morals were going against Christian beliefs, said Dr Harry. He felt that to lose Christianity w'ould destroy democracy. “God save New Zealand from the suffering we are going through in DenImark,” he said.