Schools to Use Revised Family Life Curriculum September

The Health and Family Life Curriculum has been revised for required use in all schools by September.

Making his contribution to the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 15, Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said the revision was undertaken by a broad-based working group. He said the curriculum is now “positive, value-laden and age-appropriate”.

“This Government, lead by this Prime Minister, lifts up to our children, the ideal of faithful love and marriage between a man and a woman, as the basis of a family, even as we insist on tolerance and love for those, who are disposed towards homosexuality. Let it be clear, we will not be grooming children towards same sex unions and we will not be distributing condoms in schools,” he said.

“Restraint must be taught by example and precept. Sex education: yes. Condoms: no,” he stressed.

He informed that with the revised curriculum guidance counsellors and their counterparts in the schools and community health care systems will “know what to do when a student is in danger of sexual abuse”.

A controversial section of the curriculum was pulled for review after public outcry over the inclusion of homosexuality and other sexual activities.

Contact: Chris Patterson