Did MOE do its homework?

‘Contradictory’ statements lead reader to conclude Ministry was unaware

Letter from Henry Koh Chiew Phor

04:02 PM May 08, 2009

I REFER to “Aware’s, other sex ed courses put on hold” (May 7).

It was reported that the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) assessment was that in some other aspects, the instructors’ guide does not conform to MOE’s guidelines. In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor’s guide are explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex.

If the guide does not conform to MOE’s guidelines and the responses in the guide are inappropriate, why did MOE issue an earlier statement - published in both The Straits Times and Today on April 29 - stating that “the schools that engaged Aware found that the content and messages of the sessions conducted were appropriate for their students and adhered to guidelines to respect the values of different religious groups”?

The two statements, disclosed within a short span of about one week, are contradictory.

This leads me to conclude that either MOE does not have stringent internal processes in place for selecting and monitoring vendors and vetting training materials, and hence, is totally unaware of what is taking place in schools with regard to sex education. Or, MOE is taking a liberal stand towards sex by approving Aware to conduct a sex education programme that promotes homosexual behaviour, and then assessing it only after petitioning from parents.

Given that MOE’s earlier release has given parents the wrong impression and does not reflect the true content of Aware’s sex education programme, it would be appropriate for the Ministry to give an explanation and put to rest any apprehension.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 08-May-2009