Fears of homosexual teachers ‘unfounded’

Press, 13 March 1986, Page 3

Fears of homosexual teachers ‘unfounded’

Fears that homosexual teachers would use the new health syllabus to promote homosexuality are unfounded, says the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall. Mr Marshall was replying to a question by Mr Bruce Ferrand at a special meeting with the Canterbury Education Board yesterday. Mr Ferrand said the board had received inquiries from some small school committees, which were worried about how the new syllabus would be taught in some small schools, with only one teacher. That teacher might have “different personal tendencies” which he or she would try to promote, Mr Ferrand said. Mr Marshall said he assumed people were worried about teachers with “different sexual preferences” and assured

the board there was no room for promoting dif-

ferent types of relationships in the primary syllabus. The area of sexuality dealt with in the Form 1 and Form 2 programmes was pubertal change, Mr Marshall said. The area of relationships was dealt with in secondary schools. But Mr Marshall said he would be surprised if any teachers did try to promote homosexuality through the health syllabus. It would not be allowed, he said. “Teachers will be advised about what they can do and what they cannot do,” he said. Several members of the board were also worried about the way some schools had applied for designation to teach the new syllabus. Several principals had asked the chairmen of their school committees to sign a request for designation, Mrs Ruth Cowell said.

“The chairmen did not understand why they were

signing. Some felt they were obliged to do so.” The result was that some schools had been granted designation without the school committee ever being consulted, she said. Mr Marshall said the board should look at a

way of making sure committees had been consulted before a school was designated to teach the new syllabus. “It is a very wise thing for the principal to consult very carefully with the school committee,” he said.