Johnson Report ban ‘naive, restrictive’

Press, 3 February 1981, Page 6

Johnson Report ban ‘naive, restrictive’

The attitude of the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) to the teaching human developriient and relationships in schools was “naive and restrictive,” said an American; child; health expert in Christchurch yesterday. Professor R. Guthrie, professor of pediatrics and microbiology at the State University’ of New York and-, a pioneer in the detection of potential causes of mental retardation and physical problems in new born children, said that New Zealand had a dismal record of preparing young people to be parents. Late last year Mr Wellington said that ..e did not intend tb lift the ban on, teaching sex education in primary and intermediate schools. Professor Guthrie, who is in New Zealand working with the department ofycommuni'ty health at the Auckland Medical School, has also taught at the Otago Medical School.

“.Professional educators in this country are, however, fortunately becoming aware of the vital need to give young people the right information to help them to be

iproperly prepared parents. ; “The ridiculous stand of the iMinister of Education to the Johnson Report (on the teachling of human development land relationships) would not ? be accepted in most develop- ■ ed countries overseas,” Professor Guthrie said. New Zealand seemed to pay more attention to the need to breed better racehorses, sheep and cattle than to the care of future generations of people. The concept that people had the “right to be born well,” did not seem to have caught the imagination of the nation’s educational administators. • “The Minister is naive when he says the matters should be left to parents. So many of them simply do not know. If this country wants to give its future parents the best possible chance then it must provide' them with honest information and not a lot of. preaching.’’ Professor Guthrie said. ~ “Keeping young people in the dark” about their future role as parents was economically wasteful and socially destructive.