Digressing from my regular en bloc topic - but here is another Ministry which has seemingly lost it's way. As a parent, I simply have to speak out.
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From the MOE website; their mission statement:
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Desired Outcomes of Education
Introduction: The Singaporean - an Individual, a Citizen
Education does two things: it develops the individual and educates the citizen.
Introduction: The Singaporean - an Individual, a Citizen
Education does two things: it develops the individual and educates the citizen.
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Education is about nurturing the whole child. Indeed, this is the traditional Asian understanding of the term. Education means developing the child morally, intellectually, physically, socially and aesthetically.
The foundation of a person is his values. From these spring his outlook on life and his goals in life. Together with the home, our schools have to work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children. Our children also have to learn to relate to other people - their elders and their peers, people who are like us and people who are different. Education also develops each child’s unique talents and abilities to the full. Education teaches him to keep fit and healthy for life. And education teaches him to appreciate the finer things in life and the beauty of the world around him.
Education is about nurturing the whole child. Indeed, this is the traditional Asian understanding of the term. Education means developing the child morally, intellectually, physically, socially and aesthetically.
The foundation of a person is his values. From these spring his outlook on life and his goals in life. Together with the home, our schools have to work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children. Our children also have to learn to relate to other people - their elders and their peers, people who are like us and people who are different. Education also develops each child’s unique talents and abilities to the full. Education teaches him to keep fit and healthy for life. And education teaches him to appreciate the finer things in life and the beauty of the world around him.
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Now lets take a look at the kind of morals the MOE is shaping in our children -
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Instead of reading all the rhetoric in the newspapers about AWARE's Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) programme - why don't you read it for yourself.
Instead of reading all the rhetoric in the newspapers about AWARE's Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) programme - why don't you read it for yourself.
The Basic Instructor Guide for its trainers in it's entirety can be found here :-
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It is downloadable, so copy it before it disappears again
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Obviously this manual is not what is shown to the parents. Here are some extracts.
Obviously this manual is not what is shown to the parents. Here are some extracts.
Please note this information is targeted at 12 year olds
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Page 13
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1. Anal sex - can be healthy or neutral if practiced with consent and with a condom.
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Page 13
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1. Anal sex - can be healthy or neutral if practiced with consent and with a condom.
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Given that the undertone of the instruction manual is to soften the ground for gay indoctrination, it is not surprising that anal sex has to be first established as normal and healthy. You cannot later legitimise homosexual sex if the very act is taught as unnatural and detrimental to health. A smart cookie in a class might join the dots and show up the hypocrisy otherwise.
In a class of 12 /13 yr olds, it can safely be assumed that no parent would have broached such a subject at home - so the instructor has an opening and virgin ground to conquer. If you had to plan a psychological strategy for prepping young minds towards acceptance of homosexual sex then this is the logical place to start.
In a class of 12 /13 yr olds, it can safely be assumed that no parent would have broached such a subject at home - so the instructor has an opening and virgin ground to conquer. If you had to plan a psychological strategy for prepping young minds towards acceptance of homosexual sex then this is the logical place to start.
It is for this reason anal sex is top of the list.
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To the Minister of Education: Is the MOE, through this programme, sanctioning/promoting buggery? When did the anal passage become a recognised sexual organ? It is not designed for penetration and the walls are inelastic and easily damaged. When bleeding occurs through anal sex, viruses and bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause infection, septicemia and even death. Does the MOE need some educating in basic biology here? Why is there no mention that this is a high risk activity and should not be practiced? Will MOE be held liable for criminal negligence should a teenager contract HIV through anal sex having been instructed that it was healthy through the MOE sex education programme?
To the Minister of Education: Is the MOE, through this programme, sanctioning/promoting buggery? When did the anal passage become a recognised sexual organ? It is not designed for penetration and the walls are inelastic and easily damaged. When bleeding occurs through anal sex, viruses and bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause infection, septicemia and even death. Does the MOE need some educating in basic biology here? Why is there no mention that this is a high risk activity and should not be practiced? Will MOE be held liable for criminal negligence should a teenager contract HIV through anal sex having been instructed that it was healthy through the MOE sex education programme?
Is the MOE even faintly aware of the pernicious intent behind the implanting of such an idea into young minds?
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2. Pre-marital sex - people might place pre-marital sex as negative, but it is really neutral. The key is whether the couple is aware of the consequences and the responsibilities and is ready for them. Sex with girls under 14, with or without her consent, is considered statutory rape. Sex with girls under 16, with or without her consent is considered carnal connection.
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To the Minister of Education: Here I am, trying to teach my 4 daughters to take the high road, not to jump into bed with boys - and here is the MOE sanctioning promiscuity and the low road, undermining everything that good parents try to impart to their children. Teenagers should not be receiving mixed signals and the MOE should be very careful not to negate mainstream values.
2. Pre-marital sex - people might place pre-marital sex as negative, but it is really neutral. The key is whether the couple is aware of the consequences and the responsibilities and is ready for them. Sex with girls under 14, with or without her consent, is considered statutory rape. Sex with girls under 16, with or without her consent is considered carnal connection.
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To the Minister of Education: Here I am, trying to teach my 4 daughters to take the high road, not to jump into bed with boys - and here is the MOE sanctioning promiscuity and the low road, undermining everything that good parents try to impart to their children. Teenagers should not be receiving mixed signals and the MOE should be very careful not to negate mainstream values.
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Parent’s want the teenagers to know that pre-marital sex is not ok if they are under 18 (the age when they must take responsibility for the choices they make). Why tell children they are ‘empowered in their decision making about their sexual life”(page 4) when it is the parents who have to pick up the pieces when things fall apart. The No Sex message must be made loud and clear. Opening the doors to promiscuity and hoping the condom demonstration translates into responsible teenage sex is having your head in the clouds. Expect a sharp increase in teenage abortion and STD infection rate with that message.
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3. Virginity - is a concept which is really difficult to fix, traditionally virginity is related to the hymen. But perhaps we can also think of virginity as a state of mind?
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Girls should be taught to respect their bodies and not use it as a pleasure tool. Virginity is not a state of mind, it is a state of being sexually untouched. That is the fact, why are they playing word games?
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5. Fun - sex is meant to be fun. However like all things that we enjoy, there are some rules and regulations for sex, which you must set for yourself first. Also, you need to be able to trust the person in order to have "fun" with him. Will he stand by you in case things go wrong?
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3. Virginity - is a concept which is really difficult to fix, traditionally virginity is related to the hymen. But perhaps we can also think of virginity as a state of mind?
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Girls should be taught to respect their bodies and not use it as a pleasure tool. Virginity is not a state of mind, it is a state of being sexually untouched. That is the fact, why are they playing word games?
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5. Fun - sex is meant to be fun. However like all things that we enjoy, there are some rules and regulations for sex, which you must set for yourself first. Also, you need to be able to trust the person in order to have "fun" with him. Will he stand by you in case things go wrong?
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To the Minister of Education: All children like to have fun - fun is what they have everyday of their young lives. It is highly dangerous to substitute 'sex' with the word 'fun'. The person with whom the girl is having 'fun' with is not identified as husband, just some random boy it seems. No mention that this 'fun' is restricted to adults only and is definitely not child's play.
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From an anonymous comment: Sex education should be concerned with teaching self control, highlighting the dangers. It is not necessary to harp on the fact that sex is fun, or mutual consent makes things ok. Fun is easily found out - it is controlling ourselves that is far more difficult
From an anonymous comment: Sex education should be concerned with teaching self control, highlighting the dangers. It is not necessary to harp on the fact that sex is fun, or mutual consent makes things ok. Fun is easily found out - it is controlling ourselves that is far more difficult
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8. Foreplay - Foreplay is the physical and sexual stimulation (kissing, touching, stroking etc) that occurs in the excitement stage of the sexual response. Foreplay increases the pleasure of sex.
8. Foreplay - Foreplay is the physical and sexual stimulation (kissing, touching, stroking etc) that occurs in the excitement stage of the sexual response. Foreplay increases the pleasure of sex.
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At least this is just an explanation, but it is just another example of over-the-top detail that 12 yr olds do not need to know.
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10. Homosexual - people have different preferences for their partners. Homosexuality is perfectly normal. Just like heterosexuality, it is simply the way you are. Homosexuals also form meaningful relationships, and face the same emotional issues that heterosexuals do. The Singapore law does not recognise homosexuality and deems sexual activities as unnatural.
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10. Homosexual - people have different preferences for their partners. Homosexuality is perfectly normal. Just like heterosexuality, it is simply the way you are. Homosexuals also form meaningful relationships, and face the same emotional issues that heterosexuals do. The Singapore law does not recognise homosexuality and deems sexual activities as unnatural.
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This goes beyond mere explanation of the word - and is a blatant endorsement of the gay lifestyle. What is the societal norm here? Perfectly normal? Homosexuality is just like heterosexuality? Let me count the ways it it not....
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Who gave AWARE and the MOE the right to redefine what is normal?
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To the Minister of Education: Since the MOE has unilaterally decided to quietly shift sex education to the extreme left, when and how were you going to explain this to parents?
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13. Pain- some people derive pleasure from pain during sex. However it is important that both parties consent and are comfortable with it, otherwise it is probably negative.
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13. Pain- some people derive pleasure from pain during sex. However it is important that both parties consent and are comfortable with it, otherwise it is probably negative.
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Yeow! Is the MOE promoting masochism and sadomasochism here? Masochism in Psychiatry is the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering and physical pain. What is masochism doing in the programme? Why is it being taught to 12 yr olds? Why is it portrayed in a positive light? And if pain is not welcome by one 'partner' how is it only probably negative?
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If pain is experienced during sex, then something is wrong, and medical advice should be sought.
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To the Minister of Education: 13 is equally as pernicious as 1. Establishing pain as being an acceptable part of sex builds on the earlier idea that anal sex is healthy; pain is associated with anal sex. Unless a female has a medical condition, heterosexual sex is rarely, if ever, painful.
If anal sex is 'healthy' and the pain is 'pleasurable', then young minds can readily accept that homosexual sex is normal, healthy and pleasurable.
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Trainer Notes:"In the event that the workshop participants are 12-13 yr olds, Trainer must take lead in explaining the meaning of the terms used.
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To the Minister of Education: It is evident that more than just the bare meaning of words are explained; value judgements and coloured interpretation are riddled throughout the offending pages. In other words - trainers try to re-align students ideas and views to match AWARES, which are diametrically opposite mainstream norms. They are not passive listeners but active shapers and moulders of these young impressionable minds. Most mainstream parents would find these viewpoints subversive and totally unacceptable. This is no neutral document.
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Page 16-19
Examples of opinions held by students to be specifically debunked by trainers. These opinions are termed MYTHS!
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Examples of opinions held by students to be specifically debunked by trainers. These opinions are termed MYTHS!
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Trainer Notes:
While exploring the myths, as in the rest of the training, the trainer should be careful no to give gender insensitive messages. the focus should remain on sexual rights. Avoid using the term "husband" and use "partner" instead, so it is more inclusive. eg homosexuals have partners, not "husbands". the essential point is that what you are comfortable with is what is important. And once you have decided what you are comfortable with, please play safe.
While exploring the myths, as in the rest of the training, the trainer should be careful no to give gender insensitive messages. the focus should remain on sexual rights. Avoid using the term "husband" and use "partner" instead, so it is more inclusive. eg homosexuals have partners, not "husbands". the essential point is that what you are comfortable with is what is important. And once you have decided what you are comfortable with, please play safe.
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Whilst encouraging students to give their 'opinions', the instructor has already labelled them as MYTHS in their private guide. Such language and notation betrays their true intent and that is to debunk strongly held main steam values and superimpose them with their own.
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2 Homosexuality/same-sex preferences (ie gays, homos, lesbians) is unnatural.
For a homosexual, heterosexuality may seem unnatural. We do not know what causes homosexuality, or heterosexuality for that matter. Some scientific studies show that people are born like this.
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To the Minister of Education: We do not know what causes heterosexuality? What nonsense is this? The MOE has gotten awfully unscientific all of a sudden.
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To the Minister of Education: We do not know what causes heterosexuality? What nonsense is this? The MOE has gotten awfully unscientific all of a sudden.
Does the MOE have information that the world does not know about? Please point out the studies that support this statement. Have the geneticists in the Singapore Biopolis secretly found the elusive 'gay-gene' that the rest of the world has been searching for for the last 2 decades and not told anyone yet?
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Since lesbian, gay and bisexual people are not ill or abnormal, they don't need to be "cured". These are not abnormalities or perversions but orientations or preferences, just like being left handed or right handed. All people, whether they are heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual have a right to live with dignity and in accordance with their preferences. Attempts to "treat" them may succeed in temporarily changing sexual behaviour but also can lead to emotional and other problems.
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Since lesbian, gay and bisexual people are not ill or abnormal, they don't need to be "cured". These are not abnormalities or perversions but orientations or preferences, just like being left handed or right handed. All people, whether they are heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual have a right to live with dignity and in accordance with their preferences. Attempts to "treat" them may succeed in temporarily changing sexual behaviour but also can lead to emotional and other problems.
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After laying the groundwork that anal sex is healthy, and pain is okay, the social issues of homosexuality are added. A few universal truths ( everybody as the right to live in dignity etc) are mixed in with controversial ideas (homosexuals are the same as heterosexuals earlier and other statements above,) and before you know it, you have a young group who can’t tell fact from fiction, right from wrong.
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3. The chances of homosexuality increase because of childhood trauma, eg child sex abuse
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3. The chances of homosexuality increase because of childhood trauma, eg child sex abuse
That question is as difficult to answer as 'what causes heterosexuality?" No one knows for sure. Some foolishly suggest that maybe a person turned lesbian because she had a bad experience with a man, or a man becomes gay because a woman mistreated him. If this were truly the case, then there should be many more lesbians and gay people, shouldn't there?
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I find the validation of statements through seemingly simple logic particularly noxious. The trainers are adults, they know what they are saying is wrong, they know they are leading children to erroneous conclusions they can’t possibly counter-argue. Try this argument on an adult and it does not wash.
Those who 'foolishly suggest' must be none other than the parents - another attempt at weakening societal values and superimposing their own.
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To the Minister of Education: The MOE really should really do some homework here. Why is heterosexuality being challenged yet again? Children do not have the necessary knowledge or maturity to counter facile questions such as the above. The insidious leading of innocent minds to grave and erroneous conclusions.
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Page 30
14. Practicing how to use a condom.
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15 Now we will demonstrate and practice how to use condoms (5 penis simulators are provided,)
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6 Trainer will demonstrate the use of a condom and invite participants to practice.
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I don't want my innocent and highly impressionable 12 year old practicing how to use a condom. I do not want her childhood rudely ended by the intrusion of adult material. Has the MOE gone completely mad???
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To the Minister of Educatin:
Why has the MOE taken an extreme liberal stance without informing Singaporean parents? In their stated mission, they work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of children - have they asked parents whether or not these are the morals they want imparted?? I do not give a whit about the AWARE committee and the Christian right vs the liberal left, nor do I really care about the homosexual issue - what I do care about is the quality of education my daughters receive in school and whether or not the MOE can be trusted to impart mainstream values. The MOE has outsourced this delicate subject to the most rabid feminist organisation in Singapore. I am appalled at how promiscuity is encouraged, and masochism and buggery are portrayed as acceptable practices. These are not Singaporean home values.
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IF you feel this material is inappropriate for a 12 year old please join in the on line petition here and write to the MOE here.
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The MOE may not have gotten any complaints before, but they are being inundated with them now.
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Do not forward!!!
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From the MOE website:
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Reply to Media Queries on MOE’s Sexuality Education Programme
5. Some parents who wrote in to the Ministry have also expressed concern over the content found in an “AWARE Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Basic Instructor Guide” that has been posted online. MOE is investigating this matter.
30 April 2009
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This issue MATTERS!!
1 May 2009
Well, the MOE is now receiving complaints and is currently looking into the the programme.
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This is their way out.
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This is not about AWARE anymore, this has become a political hot potato and a potentially explosive election issue. People do NOT forget nor will they forgive if the MOE comes out pro-AWARE programme. This is about their children, their values and nothing is more important to people than the welfare of their child. If the MOE does not revert to mainstream values and kick out this objectionable programme then they are in deep trouble. Meet-the -people sessions will have angry parents bearing down on MPs to do something, schools will have parents writing in (as they are probably doing already) asking what position the school takes. This issue will not die down until the appropriate measures are taken.
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- MOE has to take responsibility and show some leadership.
- MOE to stop the outsourcing of Sex Education and take back control if it is to regain the trust of parents.
- MOE to come out with a comprehensive list of accepted mainstream values
- MOE to come with a comprehensive list of what is NOT to be discussed at school
- AWARE's programme must be withdrawn and not simply amended
- AWARE must not be involved in sexual education.
- Teachers who teach non-mainstream values should be sacked
- MOE to make amends by holding corrective classes for those schools that have been exposed to the AWARE programme
- MOE to make a public apology for napping on the job.
Tall order?
Let's see
144 comments:
Hi, accidentally stumbled onto your blog while searching for information regarding MOE's sex ed. Like you, I'm totally disgusted that MOE allowed homosexual and sexual liberation indoctrination of our children. MOE must not be allowed to get away with this. Parents of Singapore has to band together to fight for the innocence of our kids.
Beware though, I'm sure your blog will be spammed by homo deviants soon. Take care.
Your daughters are fortunate to have a parent who is concerned enough to lend his voice to this cause.
I have just visited MOE's site and they have clarified that the manual is from AWARE, which is independent from MOE.
MOE has its own and they have one chapter on homosexuality but it is being taught as undesirable. Something new because when I was a teacher a few years back, it was not there at all.
Anyway, AWARE will have to be accountable for their CSE.
You have my support :)
Thank you for starting this.
I am not against homosexuality but as parents, I am VERY VERY concern.
MOE and the previou AWARE group need to know that homosexuality is not "mainstream".
I put my name down on the petition. I put it down as a mother, not a Christian.
You are lucky.. only one kid to look out for. I have 3. Though not in the target range (or do I here that there is actually materials for children as young as 5??), yet.
Thank you for this blog. Please count me in against the fight for this rubbish that MOE is allowing our precious childrens' minds to be filled with. Where have our home values which Singapore has always been so proud of gone to?
Heads should roll in MOE for allowing this filth to permeate to our schools. I have 2 kids who is at the right age for such brainwashing!
Thanks to the new Aware team for standing up for the right values despite the negative pressures they have been receiving from the pro-gay activists and the press
Thank you...for starting this blog. I am so annoyed at the press that keeps on harping on the virtues of the old guard vs the bad points of the new guard of AWARE and distracting parents from the real issue which is the CSE programme. In a way we have to thank the mothers that went to join AWARE to expose this to the public.Parents, let your voices be heard. The government is fair and will ACT but you have to speak!!! Write to the forum, sign the petitions and even consider joining AWARE to support the mainstream mothers who form the new EXCO. Tomorrow is the EGM and the old guard wants to push parents with conservative values out. They want to open AWARE to males. As a female organisation, why would they want male members unless it means letting gays in?
Thank you for this. Will link this article in my blog. I am saddened at the amount of mudslinging about the "takeover" when really the real issue should be this. It is not about religion, it is about educating our young. Thank you once again.
Well-presented indeed! Thanks for your blog. Agree with you on everything u said and that MOE should take action to throw out the pervert CSE program or the mainstream protest will be loudly registered in election votes.
such a one sided argument.
Neutral means NEITHER good NOR bad.
It is your job as a parent to inculcate values.
If your child goes and hears that being homosexual is NEUTRAL and somehow decides to join the other team is simply shows that you've been doing a terrible job inculcating values.
12+ years at homewith YOU and 10 minutes spend on the topic in a sex ed class turns ur kid LGBT... Not really rocket science to see who holds more blame.
The facts and figures speak for themselves, No parent wants their kid to engage in premarital sex or to become LBGT, BUT STILL there are a significant number of kids that do that.
Why are there so many teenage pregnancies and kids having unprotected sex or turning LBGT?
I have 2 theories..
1. Bad Parents
2. Parents who go the Ostrich way and pretend the problem does not exist and simply thinks that their children are angels who happen to not watch ANY TV or any non local news on the internet where LBGT-ism and premaritial sex is espoused? Whereby the kids are unable to turn to parents(like you) cos they know they will be treated with holy fury and treated like a sinner for even THINKING about it.. and then simply go ahead andexperiment anyway.
AWARE + MOE fills this void with cold hard SECULAR FACTS so that informed choice can be made. If you think your child is to stupid to make decisions then go ahead and sign the exclusion forms, its there for Ostriches like you who rather ignore the problem. But i think there are kids out there with more sense and intelligence to make the right choice when faced with facts and are in the position where they are unable to speak to their parents cos their parents like you are simply too one track minded to offer the right kind of guidance they need.
Wake up and smell the coffee, go look at the numbers of teenage pregnancies and abortions. It is scary! Even if you think your child is perfect and needs no further guidance from you, her classmate could be one who is engaging in premaritial sex and maybe experimenting in lesbianism.. and maybe SHE could influence your daughter. How are you going to handle that? Homeschool your kid?
If you want to send your kid through the public education system you mustunderstand that selfsame public includes children from different home with different values. MOE cant come up with a system for only your kid, but a general one.
Its common sense that MOE has seen the numbers of teenage pregs and abortions and feedback from teachers where kids come up to them for advice and realised that parents arent doing enough.
So have a heart for all those kids (maybe yours) who need the guidance and the provision of facts and good secular advice to make a decision cos they are in a position where they cant turn to parents cos they need more reason to change rather then "Cos God Said So"
As parents, we did not complain because we did not know that our kids were being taught this stuff in school. I now wonder what else is being taught? Shouldn't there be a parent advisory committee who can vet through these things??? got to thank the happenings at AWARE for this eye-opener. And my thanks to the AWARE Mums for having the guts to take on the challenge instead of just sitting on their butts.
Well done to you.
The Truth is out there if the MOE will open its investigation post haste.
Now Act II Scene 2, the Plot thickens: Transparency revealed.
Apparently, the donations for the Aware's CSE program came from a Trust Fund, administrated by a retired Bishop, who is a pastoral advisor to the Free Community Church, which allegedly accepts same sex-marriage and LGBTs. See the link :
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/317322.asp
And since the CSE program is free to the schools, it was too good to be true.
It was welcomed by 11 schools and it came in like the proverbial Trojan horse and caught everyone asleep at the switch.
The other questions I would like to ask is: why is that the MOE's values are at odds with the values of the CSE but no one in the 11 schools objected?
If anal sex (sodomy) by gay men is a crime under Penal Code 377A why was it regarded as "healthy" by AWARE's team of trainers?
Are there any trainers who are gay and if so can she really give an objective view or will it be a slow indoctrination of our kids?
Lets wait for the dirty linen to be hung out for everyone to see!
Meanwhile, go and support the new guard and make sure the old guards don't win tomorrow and revert back to business as usual, for the sakes of our children.
You said it man. If they go the way of the mixed-up dodo bird, I am going to tell them how I feel, with my vote.
I disagree. You have taken a trainer's manual and blown it out of context. This material isn't presented to the students the way it's phrased in the book.
See the article in Today here.
Students are taught to form their own views, while respecting other people's views. Learning how to
understand and debate different points of view is fundamental for living harmoniously in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society such as Singapore's.
The article also notes that the material caters to a wide age group - and is focused on the topics relevant to that age group. Unless you have sat in on a session, I think you have rushed to judgment on this issue.
Well said, well written.
MOE should check the credentials of the trainers. Are they mostly homosexuals?
Iswaran has a lot to answer for now. He should really first get his facts right before telling the public to do so.
JT,
This is a very detailed trainers manual - each task has a goal, time limit and detailed trainers notes.The detail is exacting, right down to the room arrangement. There are only 10 trainers and I am sure this manual is followed quite closely as they would all have been trained in the same way. It is no throw-away book.
Students obviously do give their own views (especially the older groups i'm sure) but the trainers try to turn viewpoints around to fit their idea of right and wrong. Example: page 13. Students have to put words in a positive, neutral or negative catagories. At the end of the task the trainers manual reads:
" The following are statements about each word trainers can use to explain WHY THE WORD SHOULD BE IN THIS PARTICULAR CATAGORY"
In other words - trainers try to re-alighn students ideas and views to match AWARES. They are not passive listeners but active shapers and moulders of these young minds. Most mainstream parents would find these viewpoints subversive and totally unacceptable.
on page 15:
Trainer Notes:
"In the event that the workshop participants are 12-13 yr olds, TRAINER MUST TAKE THE LEAD N EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF THE TERMS USED."
Implanting of ideas. Subtle brainwashing. All without the parent's full knowledge.
"learning how to debate different points of view..."
The trainers are not teaching debating skills - that is best left to the English Class and class debates.
With sexual education, the goals and desired values must be well defined. The trainer must not let 'discussion' end in ambiguity or worse; permisivness, anti-family, anti-mainstream values being established in their young minds. Children at this age (12-15) have neither the knowledge nor maturity to enter into a real discussion about homosexuality; Parents inherently know this and are rightly afraid and hence the clarian call to pull this programme out from the schools - there can be no subjectivity in this area - teachers cannot be given a leeway to promulgate a subversive idea under the guise of discussion or inclusivness.
Thank goodness this manual has been exposed. the AWRE cannot deny their objectives now.
MystiKal,
You are impatient. I am not sitting at the computer all day, I do have other things to do, I will answer your comment soon. It's just so long..
@Itshometome
Page 13 of the manual also clearly states that "This is a suggested category below. There are no absolute answers, as it depends on the context."
I think you are interpreting the manual from a very biased point of view instead of a balanced one. As evidenced by the length of the manual, very little of the overall course is dedicated to the material you deem as questionable.
You argue that 12-15 years old is too young for conversations on sexuality. But spare a thought for homosexual children. These kids do not magically wait till they are 15 to turn homosexual. And they are interacting with your kids on a daily basis. Don't you want your children to be educated on how to approach this topic? Or are you going to advise your children to shun them? Treat them like lepers? I've seen such advice from parents lead to many cruel incidences of bullying and taunting, or to complete isolation for the homosexual child. Is that how a young and probably confused homosexual child should be treated?
Also, debates happen all the time - and across all subjects even in Science, where new discoveries are constantly challenging old paradigms. Why should debates be confined to English or debate class?
That said, you are entitled to your own views and I am entitled to mine. Good luck at the vote tomorrow.
ps. In case any one is wondering, I'm totally heterosexual and happily married. Thank you.
Not sure that's fair. MystiKal's comment came through at 4:49PM and you posted other comments that came through later first. Why?
Thanks for the analysis.
I have a 2 and half year daughter, not yet ready for schools, but I am already alarmed.
I have not only sign the petition but I made a donation because i am convinced that AWARE's CSE, in its current form, is not the way forward.
Mr. Iswaran has a lot of explaining to do now that this has come out in the open. Also, is the Minister of Education, Mr. Ng Eng Hen is sleeping on his job.
MOE must take leadership, and not allow her agenda to be hijacked.
@Itshometome
My apologies.. When you approved the comments that were made after mine i assumed it will never see light of day. Nevertheless i have removed my follow up comment. Debate of course works both ways =)
@Anony May 1, 2009 5:40 PM
Heterosexual partners also engage in anal sex. It is now legal for heterosexual partners to engage in oral and anal sex. Get your facts right. The manual isn't asking gay people to go bugger each other.. Its simply stating that anal sex btw 2 consenting heterosexual partners when used with a condom is healthy or neutral.
MistyKal
The home is the primary inculcator of values . There is a trust between parent and the MOE that ‘Together with the home, our schools have to work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children.’ That trust has been broken. Children do not have a fully formed morality in place at age 12, and no decent parent would ever discuss such things as anal sex with a child at that age.
The sexuality workshops run by schools should not run counter to Singapore home values. A 12 year old can hardly be expected to argue with a person of authority about the pros and cons, of say, homosexuality. Parents should not have to worry about libertine ideas being implanted in their child’s minds while at school. It is a difficult enough task to steer a child all the way through to adulthood safely without the added battle of AWARE and MOE capturing young, immature minds and filling them with subversive rot.
Why are kids turning to sex? Possibly because they are now taught in school that sex is fun and pleasurable. And that ‘fun’ with partners is not limited to marriage or even the opposite sex. Saying yes to sex becomes a lot easier when it is sanctioned by the sex ed programme in schools. Parents should not be battling the MOE over this!
What makes you think I am a fundemantalist christian and a bad parent? I am neither. You on the other hand, sound young and immature and with no real life experience in raising children. I have 4 daughters 26, 23, 20 and a 12 year old. All fine girls.
I do not agree with bringing God or sin or any religion into the issue, this matter can be discussed purely from a scientific, health and value point of view. All parents from all religions/beliefs and from all economic strata hold the same innate desire for their children – that they grow up to be happy, healthy and well adjusted adults.
I would like to thank you for summarizing the issue well. This has nothing to do with religion, but more about the values we want to inculcate in our children. Straits Times is the one that first brought up religion by linking the 6 new EXCO members' religion and church into the whole fiasco. We need to thank the new EXCO members for having the courage to bring to light what is obviously wrong in our educational system. If we as a society do not bring up our objection when we see something is wrong, then we become guilty of irresponsible inaction.
To itshometome,
I am a parent of a toddler son, and like you, I would like him to grow up as a happy, healthy and well-adjusted adult.
Today, we have a problem of our youth contracting STDs, teenage pregnancies, self-esteem issues, etc. Surely CSE is needed to tackle this problem? I think we cannot simply sweep these problems under the carpet and pretend they don't exist. By all means, since parents have concerns, all of us should engage MOE and other parents to revise the CSE in order to accommodate those concerns. But at the end of the day, we still need some kind of CSE to protect our children.
Regards
Much has been said about this manual being only a guide for instructors, and that it is used with discretion. A manual forms the basis for instructions - if a trainer deviates from the basic concepts, then he is not using the manual - but his own beliefs and concepts. How then can we as parents know what is being taught? Then why have a manual? Why is it wrong to expect MOE and other programmes to respect conservative beliefs and not run counter to them? Isn't this as much part of tolerance? Where such issues are concerned, isn't it better to teach caring for people who are different from us, rather than highlight the acceptability of behaviour which is NOT embraced by the school? As for those who say that the programme was given funding by a former Methodist pastor - who cares? Its not about religion is it? Why are the proponents making it a religious issue?
Fargoal,
I am most certainly not advocating taking sex education out of the school curriculum! Teaching students about STDs and the birds and bees is all good. My issue is with MOE outsourcing the teaching of such delicate material to a rabid feminist organisation pushing a homosexual agenda. The CONTENT of their course is most objectionable.
I'm a parent of teenagers. Whether you like it or not, parents, your children will know 'everything' about sex, homosexuals, musturbation etc.. because information/misinformation is readily available through the internet. How many of you bother educating your children? That's why sex education is a must. Sometimes it is difficult for a parent to talk to his own children about these sensitive topics - in a workshop, these controversial topics can be discussed more openly. Values are taught from young. If you have brought up your children well, hopefully they will be discerning enough to know what is right for themselves. Don't always blame others (in this case aware and MOE)for things you need to take care of in your own home. BTW, the big hooha is over a simple icebreaker activity - for the rest of you parents who do not bother really finding out what the real issue is before passing judgement - think back to the Harry Potter incident where some school principals and churches banned the book - without even reading it - are you not the same?
MistyKal
you said
"Heterosexual partners also engage in anal sex. It is now legal for heterosexual partners to engage in oral and anal sex. ....Its simply stating that anal sex btw 2 consenting heterosexual partners when used with a condom is healthy or neutral."
The Law quite recently decriminalised buggery (the legal term) between consenting heterosexual partners. What went on behind closed doors is no business of the State. You are confusing legal with healthy. it is legal to eat McDonalds every day but it is not healthy. It is legal to have anal sex with the opposite sex but it is not healthy.
The anal canal is part of the alimentary system and is not a sexual organ. While the vagina has superbly elastic walls which can withstand vigourous sexual activity without sustaining any damage, the anal canal cannot. It's walls are thin and easily broken.
I rememebr there was case a few years back about someone who died trying to do a home rectal cleansing in their 3-room kitchen toilet. The tube punctured the canal and he/she either died from bleeding or septicemia, I can't remember which.
The HIV virus swept through the homosexual community so rapidly in the 1980's because penetration causes bleeding and the virus gains immediate access to the blood system.
Teaching children that this is a healthy alternative is like giving them a loaded gun. It is the conduit of disease and even death.
We do not teach our children how to shoot themselve up with heroin, why are we teaching them to experiment with anal sex?
"That's why sex education is a must."
Yes, it is! I never said that it wasn't!
Parents are accepting of the fact that sex ed is taught in schools,the WHY is not being challenged here.
It is the WHAT, HOW and the BY WHOM.
1) WHAT is being taught?
2) HOW is it being taught and
3) BY WHOM?
Answers:
1) A lot more than what parents bargained for.
2)A lot of it in a way that does not reinforce mainstream values and
3)Radical feminists with an agenda to push
JT,
""This is a suggested category below. There are no absolute answers, as it depends on the context." This is how the activity is introduced, the children are invited to make their own list of positive, neutral and negative and way they choose.
After they have made their list the students are then subjected to the trainers reasons (written out in detail over two pages)as to why eg 1. ANAL sex should be in the neutral catagory. SHOULD BE is the words used in the manual. The manual is online- we can all read it, it's very clear what the trainer's objectives are. They want to bring students around to their way of thinking.
I do not want to get into a debate about homosexuality.
"Good luck at the vote tomorrow"
I am not a member nor would I ever join such an organisation. I have no real interest in the outcome today; two groups of women at the opposite end of the spectrum, value-wise, slagging it out at an AGM. Horrors! Doesn't matter who wins - my beef is with the MOE. They have to take back control of the sex education in schools and make it acceptable again to mainstream parents.
Maam / Sir
Firstly, the programs were conducted in Secondary School. Which mean that the target group of students are in the 13 to around 18 years old. The statistics show that that the average age for teenage pregnancies and STD's are falling in this group. The quantum incidence is rising each year while the age group is falling each year. I will substantiate my claims with the following facts.
1. Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 October 2007 "Associate Professor P C Wong, chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at the National University Hospital, said: "The statistics speak for themselves. Every year, as I said, 1,300 to 1,500 teenage abortions occur. The numbers have not dropped. And STDs (sexually-transmitted diseases) have gone up, more than double. So we have to sit up and pay attention to the statistics."
"And in 2005, 678 teens aged between 10 and 19 years sought help for sexually-transmitted diseases, compared to 256 in 2001."
There are actually more facts and figures but a quick search on google will prove the point i am making, which is that this target group of people NEED guidance. Even if you believe your daughters don't need them, their classmates, their schoolmates maybe their CCA group mates might. (I might add that these selfsame schoolmates play an important role in the devepment of your child morally or otherwise.)
These statistics show that simply preaching “Singapore home values”, IS NOT WORKING. Going up to a kid and saying. “Don’t do this, Don’t do that” is not working anymore!. Kids respond to this kind of approach by simply “tuning out” or “zoning out”. Its sorta like Civics and Moral Education back when i was in secondary school. Majority simply wrote what the teacher wanted to hear and none of it actually sunk in.
AWARE and MOE are trying to reach this target group by accepting them for who they are, specifically people who deviate from social norms, and give them facts and figures and scientific advice on how to modify their behaviour to their own good. If you have a foolproof method of picking them out from a general secondary school population then please contact MOE and let them know, because the only way they can safely cover this target group is to make it the average and provide the information for all. For parents like yourself, there is a exclusion form yes?
Instead of simply telling MOE to take away the program, maybe you can come up with an alternative how you can adress the problem as delineated in the figures? Figure out how to give a kid advice without rejecting who they are first (ie; homosexuals, kids who practise anal sex, kids who practise premaritial sex, kids with STD’s, kids who have unprotected sex). You must understand that when you reject this kids actions and give them the impression that they are ALREADY committing sin.. they are NOT going to open up to you and NOT going to listen to good advice.
The whole excercise of naming stuff as “Neutral” is not to promote the act or behaviour but to prevent kids who are ALREADY involved in those act (refer to statistics) to NOT zone out and actually listen to good advice. Not as you put it “MOE capturing young, immature minds and filling them with subversive rot.”
You are assuming, wrongly, that all kids in the public school system are as fine examples of teenage girls as your daughters. Sadly that is not the case. Many social factors for example, poverty, lack of parental guidance or where bread and butter issues at home take precedence over moral development contribute to this. This program attempts to coax this group of people out of hiding and actually give a listening year to some good advice.
I am making an assuption here.. but kindly consider it. Assuming that all girls are split into 2 groups. One where they are like your daughters, the other where they participate privately in socially deviant behaviour. When MOE and AWARE place their stance as “Neutral” they are in fact trusting parents like you (refer to your opening sentence ”Together with the home, our schools have to work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children”) to tell your kids “School says its neutral, but here under my house and in our culture its not”, and being the fine examples they are, these group of children will listen. On the flipside, now the entire deviant group is now open to discussion and advice rather then simply zoning out!
In essence they are now able to to address the problem as shown in the statistics above!
@your second comment.
I agree that anal sex being healthy is quite contentious. I was simply replying to Anony commenter @ May 1, 2009 5:40 PM that it is not illegal. Once again the point of this exercise is not to promote or okay homosexuality and its acts. Rather to not exclude kids who already participate in these acts and to give them sound facts and advice. The point is not saying homosexuality is okay.. but the point is to adress this group of homosexuals and advice them.
I also disagree that AWARE old guard is “a rabid feminist organisation pushing a homosexual agenda”. The EOGM will settle this matter of contention.
Respectfully
R Selvaraja
Age: 25
Current Undergrad at SIM
Operations Manager @ an Established Security Firm
Well Wisher =)
I believe that people have a right to have sex before marriage, they have a right to love whoever they wish and they have a right to know about anal sex but all these should not be taught by trainers who have a differing view from the family norm.
MOE should concentrate on its job and that is to educate our young on academic matters. Regarding social and all other stuff, please leave it to the parents.
I am not a parent. If i were to become one, i would not approve of the Comprehensive Sexuality crap being taught in schools.
i thank dr thio and josie and her team for having the courage to bring up the issues. even if they had lost, they earned my respect for their sheer courage of speaking up, although their tactics might be a bit high-handed.
MOE and especially the old guards of MOE sure have a lot of explaining to do.
The manual should made an outright stand on anal sex:
Anal sex is wrong. Legitimate or not. Period.
MystiKal, Sir!
I was right in saying you were young with no experience in child-raising, but I commend you for signing your real name and age.
When a child enters Secondary School they are called ‘rising 13’s’, in other words they are 12 years old until they turn 13 on their next birthday. If your birthday is 31 Dec then you have spent the entire first year as a 12 year old.
Teenage pregnancies, abortions, and STD are rising with each year and the age group is falling. Placing the blame on ineffectual sex education pre-2007 (before AWARE started it’s programme) is too easy; ‘parents must not be doing their job, kids ‘zoning out’ on parental advice etc. Of course, no studies are produced to back these claims, it's all just guess work. To counter this trend of rising promiscuity in the young, the MOE, through AWARE, introduced the new programme – so where are you statistics to date to show that the numbers have fallen with the more explicit material? Quoting 2001/2005 will not do. There are many reasons why teenagers engage in sex, and they are not fixable no matter how much sex information you throw at them. Low self esteem being one and perhaps therapy is a more appropriate solution here than just more sex education. Looking at the slippery slope ahead, next step will be to put teenagers at risk on the pill without parental consent, over-the–counter morning after pill, condom dispensers in schools, and last of all, children under 16 getting abortions without parent’s being informed. And will all this ‘fix’ the rising trend? Looking at the failures of western countries that have gone down this road, the answer is no.
Now to your statistics. I love statistics, even though Tricky Dick once said there were 3 kinds of untruths; Lies, damn Lies and Statistics.”
1,300 to 1,500 teenage abortions occur/year. The good Prof does not say how big his pool is; is he talking about all teenagers between the ages from 12-19 or 12-16 or 13-18?
If, at a conservative estimate, the number of teenagers is put at 40,000 for each year, then 4 years of students (Sec 1-Sec 4) = 160,000. In other words those between ages 12 and 16. I say conservative because the cohort figure changes with each year and not all teenagers go to school, but they are still counted. If 1,500 teenage abortions occur every year then that is 1% of the total teenage population between 12 – 16.
The statistic could also be as low as 0.6% if ages 12-18 were considered.
If, as you purport, the sex education failed for up to 1% of the teenage population, then it did not fail for the other 99%.
Whilst 1500 abortions a year may seem high, in relation to the total teenage population, it is still very low. Of course a zero would be ideal, so show me how AWARE and MOE has managed to bring down the numbers significantly under their new and improved programme. Furthermore, a study should be done on how many of these teenagers who got either pregnant, had babies or contracted STDs from 2007 to date, were the lucky recipients of AWARE instruction at school. This kind of information would be easy to gather as I am sure records of AWARE participants are kept by the school where the girls attended.
The statistics for STDs are;.
“In 2005, 678 teens aged between 10 and 19 years sought help for sexually-transmitted diseases, compared to 256 in 2001”.
This is a much larger pool spanning 9 years of young people = 360,000, so 0.2% of the young population contracted a STD. Therefore 99.8% did not. I do not have a statistic handy here, but I would venture say this might seem infinitesimal compared to the incidence of infection in Western nations.
There is a trend of increasing infection rates. 259 teens in 2001 to 678 teens in 2005 represents an increase of 161% over 5 years. What were the statistics between 2005 and 2007 and 2007 to now? The overall efficacy of the programme should be ascertained and it should translate into a lower infection rate.
Overhauling the sex education programme to such an extent seems like overkill.
Giving over-the–top explicit sexual information to all children to catch those who are most at risk puts all children in the risk bracket.
The MOE, instead of initiating expensive therapy programmes in schools, opted to go the cheap route and hire an outside group to give its sex ed classes.
Not informing parents of the exact nature of the programme and how it goes against deeply held moral values is a breach of confidence.
Quoting from the news article you posted
"Even though they are taught to use condoms or whatever, it's better not to do it," said a Muslim woman.
"Contraceptives? At this age, if you ask them to use contraceptives, that means you're encouraging them (to have sex) by using condoms and contraceptives," said a Chinese woman.
“Opening up a Pandora's box? This is what Bayer Healthcare and Youth.SG hope to achieve with their latest campaign.”
“They hope the campaign will start a discussion on issues related to teenage pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases. “
Well, the Pandora’s Box is wide open now, because the changes were done surreptitiously and way beyond what mainstream values can accept, just. as you say, to ‘reach a target group’.
You said- “The point is not saying homosexuality is okay... but the point is to adress this group of homosexuals and advice them.”
Well, the point for angry parents is, again and again the trainers ARE saying that homosexuality IS ok. We can read for ourselves the exact intentions of the trainers from their own manual. They even question the normality of heterosexuality.
If the target group can only be reached by introducing unacceptable concepts to the 99% and by stealthily changing mindsets towards homosexuality then I say, think again, and thousands of other parents are saying so, too.
I am glad you have done a backtrack on the issue of anal sex. It is a high risk activity and should never be practiced never mind taught in school. Mark my words, MOE will at least scratch this from any future programme they devise.
MOE may even be a criminally liable should a young person contract HIV through anal sex having been instructed that it was healthy through the AWARE/MOE programme.
One last thing, I have to smile when 25yr old single male thinks he knows more about child-rearing than a woman with a total of 81 child-years of experience under her belt (and I am still under 50yrs). That when children lose their way during their teenage years it is all the parent’s fault and home values are rubbished. But when children reach adulthood intact and without damage then it is somehow just down to plain dumb luck!
Believe me, Sir, luck has nothing to do with it. Hard work, devotion, vigilance and most of all love are what it takes.
Thank you for your contribution to this debate, as two adults we can engage in such civil discussion. When it is Adult-Child, then it is best left to the parent until MOE can guarantee that the ADULT side is not going to be – yes, I am saying it again- a rabid feminist with a homosexual agenda to push.
I wonder.
Is the government now ok with the promotion of Tan activity that is against the law? to our children, no less. Who may possibly be more susceptible to apparently "role models" who are introduced to them in a learning environment.
Or are only certain special members of our society given a backdoor pass to be (possibly) seditious?
And with so much (seditious perhaps?) contemptuous references made by the same group of people, to 'intolerant' moral standards of religion, since when has our society decided to disregard our National Pledge's reference to "religion"? Or are they perhaps more interested in replacing it with "sexual preference"?
we are parents.
we can tolerate homosexuality but not the act of promoting it.
AWARE has lost its credibility regardless of who is in charge.
MOE pls WAKE UP & do your job of educating our future!
Falling for someone of the same sex when we were teenagers is a normal phase in growing up- it prepares for eventual assimilation into proper,normal ,mainstream heterosexual adult relationships. How many of us can honestly say they were free from idol- worship when we were young-be it of celebrities,filmstars, teachers, sports stars,school stars etc.But we all grow out of this phase unless there is insiduous propaganda to make us do otherwise.If the media had been less focused on "selling" sex ,kids will be kids but many will not be exploring beneath the bedsheets .There are many other exploration sites around- nature trails , farms, concert halls, underpriviledged homes etc.
THANKS to Josie and group for fighting what obviously was a common concern- of conscience,morals, health - nothing to do with whichever religion one professes.
Frankly speaking... as a student in my early 20s, i have not actually received any indication that any sexual education program in school was promoting homosexual behavior.
In fact, i have a few gay friends/ex-school mates, and they have not been discriminated against either.
Students, as a majority, are more excepting of others' beliefs and sexual orientation.
I guess the adults are the ones who are more intolerant and need some guidance in accepting other people.
I'm curious here. Does parents of teenage girls really know whether their children are engaging in sexual activities or not? I sure didn't announce to my parents then. It's not unusual for parents to think that their kids are all good and angelic and will only have sex after marriage, but that's not really being realistic. So some form of sex-ed is good. Also people also have to realize that teaching gay/les sex doesn't make you a gay/les.
This is half of it. The teaching manual was shown yesterday on the screen at the AGM, the one that asks kids to put a condom on sex toys so as to practise safe sex.
RE; Frankly speaking..... by anan
I suspect the young can’t differentiate between acceptance and tolerance with approval and sanction. One can be kind and loving towards any person without having to agree with their lifestyle, especially when you believe it to be inherently dangerous, unhealthy or immoral. That person can be a family member, your boyfriend, hell, their lifestyle is immoral, but you love them anyway.
It is when a certain group (say liberals) turn the hitherto centre to right’s quiet acceptance and tolerance into a demand that they also must approve and sanction ; that’s when the problems begin. And when a ‘group’ and their supporters then try and inculcate and superimpose their lifestyle values on the centre to right’s own children behind their backs; well then you have an explosion of anger and a fight on your hands.
If you have a child. You love that child, you would protect that child with your life. If someone were to put a syringe in your child’s hands and tell them to inject themselves with heroin, beacuse it is pleasurable, fun and healthy, I am pretty sure you would rush to your child’s defense. Why? because you know heroin is bad and your child is being violated against your will. The example may be extreme, but the reaction conservative parents are now giving is along the same vein. Don’t touch my child, they are saying, I may not like your lifestyle but I can tolerate you and your right to live in peace , I am not anti-gay, but don’t poison my child with your brand of heroin.
Everyone can live in peace in harmony in whatever way they choose so long as everyone knows where the line is drawn. Conservatives, liberals, gays, feminists, moralists, hedonists, the religous, athiests and just plain bo chaps. Everyone in the same society, not stepping on each other’s toes. Singapore, basically, if left alone.
I think Singapore scores high on the acceptance of homosexuality in general, people do have a live and let live mentality. The kind of furore that has erupted over CSE cannot help the liberal cause, it has focused society on homosexuality but nothing good for that cause will come of it. It has pushed the ‘critical mass’ mentioned above off centre because the liberal left chose the wrong target; the centr to right’s children.
My little obscure blog - exclusively centered on the en bloc laws - has had over 1,500 hits in the last 2 days. An astounding number, and I have no idea how people stumbled into my corner. But it just goes to show that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands out there hungry for real information as everyone knows the media is biased in this matter. A good number probably went on to sign that petition, 99% of the comments received were against the CSE. I posted the link to the manual in it’s entirety, so people could read and come to their own decision. Alas, the site was taken down tonight, so people are left with heresay and a miserable 3 pages. The window of transparancy has closed.
There are only a few things in life that the silent majority will rise and defend when threatened:-.
1) Country 2) Family 3) Home and for many 4) their God
In the last 3 years, I have been called to arms on 3) and 2). I have won the first battle, and I am pretty sure the MOE will take the controversial elements out of the CSE, remove AWARE quietly, and go back to teaching about STDs and sex in a non-threateneing way the ‘electorate’ can stomach.
Re: I'm curious...
Of course parents are not fools. That's why most parents are accepting of sex education in schools and grateful for it, too. But this particular programme, outsourced to AWARE by the MOE, goes beyond the pale and MOE did not inform parents of the huge shift to the left that it entailed.
Dear itshometome ,
Thank you for speaking out on behalf of so many concern parents out there.
My biggest regret was..I was not there to support Jessie Lau and her team.
But what I can do is this..write to my kid's school to opt out of any and every programs that are associated with AWARE.
Hi,
your summary of the silent majority is spot-on. You have put to words thoughts that were jumbled up in my mind such that I could not eloquently argue out on forums.
I am a younger mum: with 21 child years under my belt (2 8yo boys and a 5yo girl) ;-) My family is Christian and the things I will fight for are 1) God, 2) Family, 3) Country and 4) Home.
God bless you & your family. Thanks again for speaking my mind.
Jessie Lau and her team is being asked to cough out the $90K spent on yesterday's EGM..
I sure hope that Jessie and her team can start a new organization. With so many concerned parents out there..I am sure our donation can help the team pay back what the current AWARE team is demanding from Jessie Lau.
Re: Dear itshometome..
I was not there either because I support neither the religious right not the liberal left. I am a moderate and it was the media that whipped up the frenzy in order to detract from the real issue and culprits- The MOE and their demoral CSE programme.
This battle is not focused on AWARE! AWARE is just a private womnen's group who have access to secondary schools courtesy of our dear Ministry of Education. The return of the Old Guard was a foregone conclusion as the liberal left is generally more active in these kind of groups anyway. Who cares, I don't.
It is the MOE that must be brought to task and made to take this programme out of the schools. The MOE must return to teaching sex education in a way that injects a higher dose of morality. This is what parents expect.
So write to your school, let them know that the AWARE programme is not suitable for your child, and more importantly , write to the MOE and complain that they have not provided a moral CSE that your child can attend. You want your child to receive sex education, but only if the MOE can be trusted to teach it according to standard societal values.
Hi
Well done! You articulate so well the thoughts on many a parent's mind, but who are not as eloquent. I am beginning to wonder how a program like the CSE can be missed by the MOE higher-ups, unless (my conspiracy theories), (a) the person vetting is a homosexual, (b) there is unspoken encouragement by the government/unseen hands at work towards the acceptance of an eventual repeal of a certain act.
I appreciate the effort you have made to voice your concerns, which I wholeheartedly share and cannot agree with you more. Like you I was AGHAST (to say the least) when I read the AWARE CSE Manual. In fact, so appalling and outrageous it was to me that I even thought it might be a vicious hoax to discredit AWARE (Old Guard)! When TODAY broke the story and verified the same, I tried my best to look at the content this way and that way to see if the stuff could be in fact be benign if read "in context". After a few rounds of mental gymnastics, I have concluded that no matter how kindly you read the statements you are mentioned, they are not neutral but insidious and harmful to our children! I am waiting to hear what MOE has to say for itself! Jeannette Chong Aruldoss
For a list of disparities between the actual CSE and Aware’s CSE Trainer doc, go check out what voice0freason wrote.
http://comment.straitstimes.com/showthread.php?t=19461&page=28
Aware is definitely up to no good. No good at all.
Hi,
Like so many who post their comment here, I am outrage too.
This AWARE episode is the just the beginning. It is the mother of many battles to come between the corrupt liberalism of the west and the pro-family values that we hold dear.
Homosexuality is the practice of Homosexualism. Its main tenet is to do whatever that is digrametrically oppose to traditional family and good wholesome community values. If allowed to take root in the mainstream society will tear apart our home, our religious organizations and our nation. We have to resolutely defend against it, even if the government choose to abdicate this responsibility.
Through this episode, we can also see how some media organizations even perhaps the government hierarchy have been infected with this liberal malignancy that will seek to corrupt, defraud and destroy our very traditional values.
Besides signing this petition, more can be done. One can choose not to buy the newspapers, esp the straits times. Look to other sources for your news - the TV, other newspapers, the internet, etc. Send a signal that the people will not tolerate the hijacking of a national newspaper for the purpose of some segment of the journalistic community that seek to destroy the family.
Actually, I find the material being quoted here against MOE's rather neutral, I simply can't see any strong biase towards any sense.
It's plain facts and it's up to individual to visualise the whole information provided as being good, bad or neutral, every family has their own way of cultivating the values about sex into their young, I'm not biased against any sexual orientation, I just simply find them rather sympathetic. It's actually pretty unfortunate as these group of ppl probably have a very bad start in a normal relationship. Could be due to their own or their parents which give them an emotional scar that keep them away from a normal relationship. It could be due to their hormones as well. Thus being neutral for a study material's very important.
Likewise the experiencing pain part, it doesn't really present a strong link to SM. It's simply telling the young that they might experience pain during sex which is true. Who has a great 1st sex without any pain? Especially when your partner's also a newbie in sex?
Ppl do get frightened by the pain, that's what happened to me and my wife a decade back, trust me, we even gone to the doctor to have my wife checked to ensure there's nothing wrong with her internals.
I do agree with Mystikal that the material presented is largely neutral and it's important for parents to cultivate their own concepts into their young and hope their young do agree with their parents.
I'd be furious if the study material is biased, because being biase is how hate grows. History taught us very valuable lessons on being neutral when comes to mass education, how Nazis flourished and the birth of KKK? It is important for MOE to present neutral facts and let the recipient of such education do the brainstorming.
If MOE do not target this group of young, then it'll be too late thus I find MOE doing a pretty good job here. While MOE teaches the fact, that's where myself as a parent steps in to explain to my young on our family values, why is it important to stick to such values using MOE's passed down information as a comparison.
Obviously during this stage, it'll be confusing for the children, thus it's important to let the young go through a brainstorming session. Explain to them what MOE passed down as information isn't necessarily wrong, they're just passing down the facts, there's no right or wrong answer to it, right or wrong's simply conceptualised by us individuals.
I just wished that MOE would cane my child when necessary. While I believe in being a "friend" to my child, I've never forsake the strict disciplinary action part. When words failed to correct my young, that's where the cane steps in.
I can't leave everything to MOE, considering that they are teaching the nation's young, it's important for MOE to stay neutral. When individuals have different concepts and values of life, it's impossible for MOE to favour towards any specific group. If they do, that is being biased.
This is how I feel, I don't need no extracts from external sources to support my thoughts, because this is how I feel we should live our lives. I'd like to think that having too much Rights and Wrongs are what created the generally obedient and self conscious Singaporeans today, too obedient (inability to think and raise questions), too self conscious(inability to consider the effects of one's actions towards the others), in my opinion, this ain't too good for our nation's development. When government said we need foreign talents to keep our country ahead of competition, that really fumed me, it's these "foreign talents" that ruined GM and Chrysler today. I strongly believe that we have good local talents and we can continue to nurture more of such talents.
To me, the government's wrong, I can't possibly teach my young to bow down to foreign talents can I? Am I supposed to tell my young to stop dreaming because he/she can only join the average workforce in future and he/she probably means nothing to the country because their dream jobs are likely to be dominated by foreign talents?
However, is the government really wrong at this point in time? Think about the declining birth rate, lesser talents sprouting these days compared to the past. No matter how much I hate that statement, what the government pointed out, really, it's a fact. I've just gotta work harder to prove them wrong in the future.
You articulated very well the outrage that my friends and I - all parents - feel about how our kids are being quietly poisoned by these dangerous and insidious means.
The fact that the homosexual portion constitutes a small portion of the CSE is irrelevant - will you take a sip of a drink if you knew there is a SINGLE drop of poison in it?
It'll be great if what you've written can be read more widely by the general public, who are disgusted and outraged by the CSE but can't or aren't able to articulate their objections as well as you have.
Letters to the ST Forum come to mind, but they have been less than unbiased it appears, but maybe still worth a try.
Wish every parent can read this. After all, now even the very existence of heterosexuals is questioned and taught to our children...by an organisation which, until lately, comprised of only 300 people!
Hi itshometome,
Agree with you totally.
Hi itshometome,
Can you advise how to forward the email to the Prime Minister on the other petition link ?
I cannot find the forward button and also cannot copy the email. It would be easier if we can just copy the email and sent it. Thanks!
I'm not hugely techie - the only thing I could think of was to change it to jpeg and send it to adobe. From there you can download and print at least.
I'll also try and send you the email.
Wow! A full on site you have here. Good stuff! Keep it up! I'm not a parent as of yet, but if I had kids, I would like em to grow up right. I would be happy for them to live an innocent life (as in not knowing the explicit “adult” stuff that CSE was introducing) till when they are ready. An adult has quite a lot on their plate to deal with. Why not remain as child for as long as time permits. Quite a lot of the people from my generation, that I knew of, were ignorant about a lot of “adult” things till we hit 18 and above. We turned out all right. From observation, good family upbringing, right circle of friends, religion, education, etc. has helped in a big way. We may have come across as a little green to our foreign friends perhaps, but they happily filled us in on the nitty gritty details. I’m glad that my older generation (you and many other parents) have been and are fighting for both my generation and many more to come. You guys and your previous generations have been fighting for us to enjoy our childhood for as long as possible. The onus is on all of us to fight the good fight with you guys for our future generations. I don't know what MOE is trying to do or perhaps, are not doing, but they better pull up their socks. I believe that I echo the thoughts of many, parents inclusive, that kids should grow up knowing that there should be no “hanky panky under the sheets”, so to speak, under 18 and outside marriage! Same reasons why kids are told not to touch a boiling pot.
I think Mr Iswaran has much to answer. Somemore can tell people to get the facts right before making any investigation. The smoking gun is out and clear.
Some people in MOE is going to get screwed (sorry the pun). I hope they don't come out and say "Oh, this is an honest mistake".
Complacency first in the MHA, now in MOE.
Bet that the next election comes around you won't be seeing Iswaran.
I sent MOE an email to register my concern regarding the CSE manual. I am deeply troubled by what I read. Even as the AWARE old guards tries to brush the perverted portion as 1.5minutes worth, I wonder how much they are not telling us. Surely it takes more time than 1.5minutes to get children to practice putting condoms on penis simulators. Write to MOE to register your complains. Parents, do not sit on your hands and hope things will get better. Fight for your childrens' right for innocence.
I was at the EGM and let me tell you, those women behaved like men! Maybe they really think they are men! I cannot imagine our daughters turning out like that - maybe that is what they really want with their insidious infiltration into our education system. Those women behaved like hooligans, rude and hysterical. It was the ugliest sight ever!
They think they have won the battle, but in fact they have lost the war because the truth has been revealed on what this society really stands for - not for women, but for homos!
Yes, I agree we should boycott Straits Times. I did not believe it in the past when people tell me we need another national newspaper, but now I wish someone will start one because I do not believe Straits Times anymore. The obvious bias reporting makes me wonder how many `queers' are sitting in the editorial seats? on are they `kowtowing' to Margaret Thomas and her friends because of their past `connections'? (I was told thomas was the former chief editor of BT.)
and yes, let's get that jerk Siew Kum Hoong out of parliment also. he is definitely one of them.
People who are working or have worked in public sector know how things are done. Many senior officials who make the final presentation or official statement don't know the nitty gritty & have no time to review the material that contributes to final product. They simply leave all groundwork to junior staff & get last minute briefing and summary. So the senior guy simply takes at face value if staff says there were no complaints & everything ok. The premise is if anything goes wrong, you simply go down the line to internally reprimand staff involved, but damage already done. If serious enough junior staff gets fired while senior guy only needs to say sorry or take tiny cut in bonus. Senior officials should take more personal responsibility especially for such critical issues, otherwise how to justify fat paycheck?
Suspect system is the same in schools if principal doesn't personally check on things & know what's going on. Delegating tasks is not the same as delegating out your brains & common sense. Higher position comes with more responsibility & accountability, not less.
MOE needs to remember who are their real stakeholders: responsible & good educators, numerous parents of a largely conservative & Asian society, and impressionable students who are future of S'pore. NOT any irresponsible liberal teachers who may be out to promote their personal alternative lifestyle to their young charges, NOT social groups like AWARE, NOT minority activist groups like the gay community. MOE needs to wake up their ideas & set their priorities right.
Mystikal - rising teenage pregnancies, std only serves to remind us the dangers of multiple sex partners, irresponsible sexual behaviour. Sex education thus should be concerned with teaching self control, highlighting the dangers. It is not necc to harp on the fact that sex is fun, or mutual consent makes things ok. Fun is easily found out - its controlling ourselves that is far more difficult. As for the fact that this constitutes a small percentage of the teaching - guess what - we listen to what we want to hear. we hunger for approval and support. If I am already on the slippery road, all i need is an authority figure telling me its ok to give me that reassurance. I do not see how promoting sex is fun, or homosexuality is ok protects teenagers.By the way, I too have grown children.
The problem with delegating such an important matter of sex ed programmes to schools is the losing of control. The enemy doesn't even need to divide and conquer - it's all divided up for them. Once they get into 1 school, they just need to go to another and say, look, we're in XXX Sec School and YYY Sec School. These principals then let down their guard -thinking, the other school must have checked already, so it's ok. At least I hope it's let down their guard, and not purposely lift up the drawbridge for the enemy to cross into the moat coz they are skewed the enemy's ways. Which brings me to another thing - are our teachers and principals screened for sexual orientation? For important or high security functions, won't people be screened? Like for bankruptcy, family background, etc.
-- SC
will preventing our kids from knowing about homosexuality or telling them homosexuality is wrong help to protect them? or are we harming them by keeping them from what they need to know ASAP about how to cope with the modern globalised world? or worse still, could we be possibly turning them into hateful homo-phobes?
just wondering.. :|
neutral parent
neutral parent,
you must be one of the most neutral and advance parent that I have "encountered" ..so much so, it makes me wonder, whether are you a real parent.
If you bother to see and to connect the dots together..the sponsor of the program, the trainer's background, the manual, the people who are defending the CSE programs,..the agenda couldn't be clearer.
I am also of the view that the ST has been biased in reporting the recent AWARE saga. We really have to take things with much more salt these days! Indeed, the battle may have been won but the war has just began. We are watching and AWARE now.
Thank you for this well thought-out and intelligent post. AWARE's CSE program does not simply equip kids with the right information so that they can make sensible choices, as they glibly claim - it corrupts our children. I cant imagine kids will effectively be getting a "dry run" sex/condom practice with penis simulators and such! There is an appropriate age for appropriate information to be given. Just because a few kids are going to experiment and get into trouble doesn't justify telling every kid starting from 12 that sex is okay and "by the way this is how you use a condom". By analogy, just because a few crazy kids are going to go gila and start a shooting incident in school doesn't mean you start educating 12 year olds how to get, use and discharge firearms!
BEWARE
Well written. Thanks.
Hope you will also write directly to MOE
with a cc to REACH. LC
The CSE instructor guide in pdf can be downloaded here:
http://tinyurl.com/cxsrwc
Voicethread site is up now. Has a link to download full CSE + trainer's interview selection questionnaire.
http://tinyurl.com/cxsrwc
To: neutral parent…
So the first question we should establish is; what do we want to protect our kids from.
From early sexual experience,
from teenage pregnancy,
from STDs
from promiscuity
from lies
from inappropriate material
from perverse ideas,
from sexual predators,
We don’t need to protect our kids from knowing about homosexuality and they will not grow up to be homophobes. That would be an extreme position to take and as I have said before, Singapore is a tolerant society and homosexuals are not persecuted here. This CSE, while purporting on page 10 not to deliver any moral lesson/values, then goes on to riddle the document with liberal leftist ideas completely at odds with the list stated above.
Parents want societal and home values reinforced at school – not rubbished.
Parent’s want the teenagers to know that pre-marital sex is not ok if they are under 18 (the age when they must take responsibility for the choices they make). Why tell children they are ‘empowered in their decision making about their sexual life”(page 4) when it is the parents who have to pick up the pieces when things fall apart. The No Sex message must be made loud and clear. Opening the doors to promiscuity and hoping the condom demonstration translates into responsible teenage sex is having your head in the clouds.
Expect a sharp increase in teenage abortion and STD infection rate with that message.
Parents don’t mind their teenagers learning about contraceptives (unless there’s a religious reason not to); but 12 yr olds practicing on dildos is just not on.
Parents want their children to know all about STDs, gory details and all. If the MOH thinks horrendous pictures on cigarette packs might be an effective deterent to smokers, then MOE should try the same with STDs. But be truthful in how they are contracted. Don’t play down dangerous high-risk sexual acts in the name of sensitivity and inclusivity; homosexuals need protection from these diseases, too.
Parents are all heterosexual and expect heterosexuality to be taught as the norm.
Parent’s don’t want their children to be told lies. Anal sex is not healthy. Homosexuality is not the same as heterosexuality. Homosexuals are not born that way until the there is unequivocal and universally accepted scientific proof that they are. The chances of homosexuality do increase because of childhood trauma, a sexually abused child has a high chance of becoming a very disturbed teenager.
Parent’s don’t want the terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ scrubbed from the vocabulary as they connect sex with something higher – responsibility, age, commitment.
Parents don't want a CSE taught by radicals of any stripe.
Parents were not born yesterday, the world is not a strange place to them and they know what is best for their child.
MOE needs to address this and come clean why they have endorsed AWARE's program. Aa a parent of two daughters I am greatly concern about how this has slipped in without parents being informed and their feedback sought.
I have signed the petition and will encourage parents to do so.
Itshometome, very well said.
If I am the moe officer given the task to face you to answer for this Aware CSE program, my legs will wobble and I will pee in my pants. I will try to find a reason to take the day off.
I really hope the MOE read your posts. Can somebody with connections to the relevant MOE officers put up the links ?
Parents concerns aside. Sex with minors are illegal.
The CSE is conducted at the secondary school level.
Under training objectives (page 4)
"Participants will be empowered in their decision-making about their sexual life."
Under training outcomes (page 4)
"4. Participants practice the skills of dealing with peer pressure, avoiding unclear communication and negotiating condom usage while involved in a sexual relationship."
MOE has lost it's mind on the legal front.
What is there to empower or practice any skills when it is illegal for them to engage in sex?
Legal professionals, correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.
to itshometome - brilliant post! totally agree with you. parents want societal and home values reinforced - NOT rubbished. The homosexuals' agenda is so insidious - slowly but surely transmitting THEIR values to the next generation so that homosexuality will be seen as healthy. The aim, clearly, is so that enough people will eventually say OK to homosexuality so section 377A can be repealed. Hello - Singapore is tolerant, in fact, many homosexuals here hold high positions of power and influence (mmm....), but that is not enough for them. Now they have the audacity to question the very existence of heterosexuals (!!) and discriminate against the majority. Not only MOE, but the government should make clear that such sneaky infiltrations will NOT be tolerated whether in Aware or any other NGOs. To me, Aware has totally lost its credibility - it has become a very useful and effective front for a small minority with a loud voice, riding on Aware's credibility. Schools and those whose names appear in the CSE as its auditors (including folks from some schools and a religious centre for girls) should also ask themselves how they approved such biased filth. How many people have been sleeping at the wheel?
I stumbled upon your site and totally support the outrage against AWARE's program. It is such a pity that the newspapers are determined to cast it as a christians vs others battle. As if non-christians wholly embrace homosexuality or Christians are the only people who reject Christianity. Sex is not a neutral subject because the family has to live with the consequences of the misguided individual. I wonder when MOE will respond
yeah, the press have had a field day casting the whole thing as religious fundamentalism vs secularism. they ignored the CSE issue to protect MOE from further scrutiny while this raged on. Now that the dust is finally settling, probably the MOE will quietly work behind the scenes to change/cancel the CSE program. this issue, as mentioned above, can become a political hot potato if not solved properly, as the majority of the voting public is conservative.
I don't know Josie Lau or or team members but even though there are better things to do on a nice Saturday afternoon, I went to queue up at Suntec to support her team as I feel that the media has been biased in their reporting. I want to thank them for "opening our eyes" to the complacency of the old AWARE team and our MOE. Like many others I'm anxiously awaiting MOE's response, they certainly can't get away with "no student, no parent has made any complaints about the training materials" or trying to brush it off as though Dr. Thio hasn't done her homework.
MOE just released another statement.
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2009/05/moes-statement-on-sexuality-ed.php
The verdit is out...MOE has finally spoken..
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2009/05/moes-statement-on-sexuality-ed.php
I am glad that we have finally put a stop to this CSE program that is provided by AWARE.
like many parents.. i am concerned as i will be starting my family soon. i do not wish my child to think sex is ok or homo or leb is ok. cos kids these days like fun.. they will like to try out things.. specially new things...
I am very surprised to read that MOE dare said that prior to the h/light leading to the AWARE's Saga, the Ministry did not receive any adverse feedbacds concerning the CSE carried out by AWARE.
Really!!! In the 1st instance, did the entire program was made known to us, parents?
Since the sensitive suject on sex education is out-sourced, did the MOE gone through the texts used by AWARE to teach to so young, gullible and fashionable minds actually studied the materials to be taught? If, so, then, did AWARE changes its materials without the knowledge and consent of MOE? Which is which? Can MOE, clarify and illuminate, us, parents?
Are 12 years old students need to be sujected to such "sex education"? The dangers and harms of illucid and illegal sex should be taught instaed of painting when is outright wrong and unnatural seemed to be ok, a matter of personal lifestlye and preferrence.
Many things is life, irrspective of religions (sad to see that this saga was looped-sided as religious affairs, and the very reason for calling the EGM was completely ignored to address the issues of promoting lesbanism, homosuality, gays in school education system).
"Wrong is wrong" no amount of reasoning will ever be enough to make it right.
Phew! finally MOE have someone who are biological knowledege on all about sex.
THE Ministry of Education (MOE) has suspended the sexuality education programme run by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) in some schools, saying it does not conform to the MOE's guidelines.
In particular, MOE found some suggested responses in the guide 'too explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex'.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_373200.html
Wonder why word change like weather?
"In the letter, MOE said the schools ‘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’."
http://singaporeenquirer.sg/?p=3546
Dear Josie Lau
This is your victory.
Thank you for exposing AWARE for what it is and its CSE program. If not for you and your team, we parents will still be in the dark while the gays and lesbians, with the blessings of AWARE, prey on our children. You and your team have done mainstream Singapore a big favour. We owe you one.
There is a growing public sentiment hoping that you and your team will leave AWARE and form an organisation that will truly represent and further the interest of women in Singapore including those in the heartlands. An organisation that is truly pro family and base on sound moral values. After this episode which opened our eyes, many are willing to join and help out if you do form one. Think about it.
AWARE is not worth it anymore. It is clear that they have a very strong LGBT presence and their agenda is nothing short of deprave. If they touch our children again we will fight them all the way.
Your team may have lost the EGM but all of you can leave AWARE with your head high. Mainstream Singapore is behind you.
Once agin thank you Josie, your team and of course Dr Thio Su Mein.
Bearish,
MOE have suspended all Sexuality programs from outside vendors until the contents are reviewed!!!What had happened in the first place?There weren't vettings at all!!!Was there a hidden agenda to brainwash our children by some in MOE???Should there be a Commission of Inquiry by respected multi race group?
Why are there diliberate GP papers from MOE to discuss views on "pink families"???
Who is pushing this agenda?MOE,concerned parents scream out for answer and responsible parties intentional or dereliction of duty!!!
Mainline Media will not carry these voices unless their senior management sits up.
It is a crime to brainwash our young minds....
I think it's great that the CSE is pulled off. I'll be really wary of the Aware brand in any programmes from now on.
The ST today had this article on this pervert who sexually attacked young boys. It was like a 'shadow' play on this Aware CSE matter - a gross pervert/paedophile moving about to prey on the young in the schools. Sickening. -- sc
Hooray to Josie and her team. You can be proud of yourself. And we are proud of you.
But I think it is difficult for Joise to lead another organization if DBS disagree. I hope that DBS is proud of you. You did not let DBS down.
The EGM victory of the old guard at AWARE is turning out to be pyrrhic. The thuggish behaviour at the EGM, vocal support from gays, biased coverage from media channels, and subversive agenda in the CSE have been noticed and are being addressed by concerned parents.
If JL's team had been allowed to contribute as the exco, society might just have seen a quiet adjustment to the CSE materials without much of a hooha, and been none the wiser.
With the old guard activating all its connections, the strength and contribution of the gay lobby to AWARE is now bare for all to see. The liberal bias of the media with its dangerous focus and slanderous emphasis on the religious affiliation of JL's team and the manipulations of media editors and specific reporters have now been exposed to the public. The old guard, and its supporters have been shown to be out of touch with the core of what constitutes Singapore psyche. Their persistence in maintaining a "victim" posture and defiance towards society's concerns over their subversive CSE is the self-inflicted blow to AWARE. The unrepentant posture of the old guard supporters over the CSE and persistence in asserting an unproven christian right agenda demonstrates their virulence and non-tolerance towards other Singaporeans, and demonstrates that AWARE has truly been hijacked and been taken off track. The old guard's call for support through the gay community has now landed itself in a Catch-22, where it needs to demonstrate its relevance to Singapore, but in doing so, will immediately alienate its newest and loudest core group of members. If AWARE loses relevance, it would not be because of TSM or JL, but because of the ego and stridency of the old guard, and the new bed partners it has invited in.
MOE's public posture is now that of contrition, blame on weaknesses in its procurement processes, and openness towards reflection and improvements. The entire episode has forced MOE to clarify and harden its line in NOT promoting alternate lifestyles. Parents and the public will now hold MOE accountable to discipline any and all of its principals and teachers that breach this. No teacher or principal can now been seen to promote or support alternate lifestyles in the course of his/her duties. I have no grouse against MOE hiring gay/lesbian teachers, but these individuals must now be absolutely clear in their adherence to espousing the values that Singaporeans believe in - that the proper family in Singapore consists of married hetrosexual parents and children. Promiscuity too, must be frowned upon throughout all MOE institutions, for the negative social impact that it has on the institution of the family.
-tothepoint
Dear Itshometome ,
Your previous post on the email addresse of the Prime Minister and Minister Mentor is missing. Appreciate if you could post it again, as I want to write to them on need for accountability and integrity. It is not enough just to suspend the CSE program. Thanks a lot!
The post is not missing - when you click on comments then just that post and it's comments come up. If you click the Back button, the original 3 posts come back up.
I have limited the number of MOE posts to 3 as all my other 177 posts are centred on my pet peeve - en bloc!
Dear Itshometome ,
Okay, found it.
Thanks so much for your blog on MOE/CSE ! We need more upright good people like you that speaks up against evil and to make a difference. It is people like you that gives us hope that all is not lost in our humanity.
Am truly grateful to you. Thanks so much!
Now that it has come into the open that AWARE is pro homosexual with a gay agenda,I believe that it is only right that MOE ban AWARE from offering and conducting any sort of programs in schools. Not just the CSE.
To sum it up. They have to be kept away from children.
Having AWARE in schools now is like giving gay organisations like "People Like Us' and Fridae.com" a chance to "teach" children.
Leadership is not just about economics of dollars and cents....it is also about making a stand on what is right and what is wrong. Brain washing the kids into thinking or accepting anal sex is healthy/normal is definitely wrong.
How I wish our community leaders and religious leaders could stand up and speak up clearly like you. White is white, black is black...but sadly, many leaders would rather chose to be politically correct. Once again, thanks for speaking out for the parents.
I fully agreed -- thanks to Thio Su Mien and the new AWARE leadership team. Without them, we parents would have been kept in dark God knows how long. Thanks to itshometome who spent much time in revealing the truth point by point. Like other parents, why would I want my 12-old or 13-old children know about all these things? I just want them to know it's too early for them to think about sex! And they should ask their parents if they have doubts or questions. MOE has nothing better to do? How come they "outsource" such an important task without informing the parents? Is it ignorance or negligence? Has MOE lost its mind? I'm wondering whether MOE would give us an explanation as how this happened. Can I trust them anymore as as a trusted partner that "work carefully and painstakingly to shape the morals of our children"?
Why are we judging what is best for the children in our current environment? What works in the past may not work now. Putting pressure on kids to accept our beliefs may not work well but making them understand what is right or wrong to me is the best solution. What is the age that kids mature in our current society compared to the 80s and 70s?do we have internet? Do we have the exposure as what our kids have now? I think we as parents or mature adults should just take a step back and see for ourselves how society has evolved and be dyanmic in our thinking to educate our kids. There is no right or wrong but accepting changes and new mindsets that we as a society can improve. Remember in history how the church says that the earth is flat and went against science!
I had sex at 14 and still turned out a well adjusted well paid adult in a respectable job..
you protest too much. your great great grandmothers probably gave birth at 14 or 16. where are your asian values.
I support you wholeheartedly.
To itshometome, thanks for sharing your thoughts and extending your patience to those who rebutted.
I believe it is about time parents be pro active in the CSE program. May I suggest the following:-
a)explain what it takes to be a GAY and that majority of mainstream folks do not consider it normal,
b) explain why anal sex is not healthy and strongly Not Recommended even with a condom, reference should be made to penal code S377A to create awareness for state laws,
c) explain HIV, Hepatitis statistics, high percentages due to male homosexuals, explain dangers of contracting the various sexual diseases.
Descriptions such as insidious and stealth were leveled at JL and her team. But, the true proponents of these descriptions were actually the old Aware team. Through their insidious CSE, they have stealthy infiltrated into the minds of our youngsters.
The old Aware (or current Aware) team has already done irreparable damage onto youngsters through their CSE programme, while JL and her team has yet to even start doing anything at all!
It is shameful that ST will NOT even report this simple fact. JL and her team retaliated against something they saw as both sinister and needs to be addressed urgently. Instead, they were demonized as pushing for a christian agenda.
Will ST apologize ? Will Iswaran apologize ? I seriously doubt so. Yesterday, lapses in MHA, today, lapses in MOE. Which ministry is next ? Your guess is as good as mine.
Commenting on a blog posted:
Why are we judging what is best for the children in our current environment?:
[Unless you subscribe to EVERYTHING goes to parenting your child, so be it. Think why you judge it's best for your child to have an education. Think why you said "No" to your child those times when you believed it's best for him/her. i can go on..and on..: BECAUSE we LOVE and want the BEST for our child]
What works in the past may not work now.:[TRUE]
Putting pressure on kids to accept our beliefs may not work well but making them understand what is right or wrong to me is the best solution.:
[TRUE, that's why as parents many came up to say "no" to the CSE as it advocates a liberal stance that most parents believe is inconsistent with their family values. Family values are then shaped by your beliefs that each parent would like to pass on to thier child. Unless your family values says it's ok and perfectly normal to have a homosexual relationship, then you are in the minority group in Singapore context]
What is the age that kids mature in our current society compared to the 80s and 70s?do we have internet? Do we have the exposure as what our kids have now?:
[Maturity and having exposure to knowledge are not synonymous/identical. It's like knowledge and wisedom is not synonymous/identical]
I think we as parents or mature adults should just take a step back and see for ourselves how society has evolved and be dyanmic in our thinking to educate our kids.:
[TRUE]
There is no right or wrong but accepting changes and new mindsets that we as a society can improve.:
[Are you saying again EVERYTHING is permissible? or are you saying everyting is relative, depending on your situation? As a society, the values of a society can change/evolve..etc. You need to wait for that to happen or become part of the process to change]
Remember in history how the church says that the earth is flat and went against science!:
[TRUE.What's your point here? This isnt about christianity. This debate is about VALUES of a society we lived in. A society is made up of people and for a society to function harmoniously, the MAJORITY VOICE must prevail, whilst allowing for the minority to live alongside with tolerance, be sensitive to have non discriminatory non hateful social intercourse with any minority group. In the case of Singapore society, note Singapore and not US or some other nation, the VALUES of the Singapore society is CONSERVATIVE family values. You can say you dont want to be part of the majority voice, its ok. BUT you cannot say and insist to the majority voice that they must change their Values to follow yours. You can through propaganda, fight an ideological battle/war thr' education or internet or media, to attempt to change the majority Values.
Most people have now come to beleive that's what the AWARE saga is all about and hence many have signed up the various online petitions to MOE..etc to preserve the CONSERVATVE family values of the majority]
Hi there. I'm a 18 year old growing adult, and I totally agree with you. It's not that I'm being conservative or whatever, it's just that I feel these values being taught to 12 year olds are wrong. Even though it is stated to be NEUTRAL, but honestly, I, myself at 12 years old at times can't even think properly.
I'm probably right to say that majority of the 12 year olds are still quite childish in mind, and are easily brain washed.
Take for example this:
1. Anal sex - can be healthy or neutral if practiced with consent and with a condom.
Which 12 year old would think that it's BAD from that statement?? It contains the word "healthy" and they might just think that anal sex is completely okay and of course healthy. This actually encourages them to engage in anal sex.
Whatever it is, I don't think such material is appropriate for such a young age group. When I was back in secondary school 2 years ago, I had mutiple sex talks in my school, each with different content to cater to different age groups. It would definitely be more appropriate to include the above example to 16 or 17 year old teenagers instead because I'm pretty sure many are matured enough to have their own opinion on it, and not be brain washed by whatever material that is being taught.
Then again, you can't entirely push the responsibility of educating children on sex to MOE. I would like my parents to be open to this topic. Because if I know I've done something wrong that are against my parents' values, I would feel really guilty for betraying their trust they have towards me on the issue of sex. And because of this trust they have on me after discussing about sex, all the more I would have a clearer view of what's right and what's wrong, and will still be able to stick to my own stand even if I have friends that engage in casual sex etc. But if my parents never discuss anything about sexuality education, I would honestly be very lost and will follow what those bad kids out there are doing now, having casual sex etc.
Parents should actually try communicating with their children more often to find out what works, and what doesn't, instead of discussing with other parents on what to do. Generation gap y'know? And afterall, everybody is different. What works for this child might not necessarily work for another child. So it's always good to establish a good relationship with your child.
In my opinion, teaching children about sex is a must, through schools and of course parents. But exposing of such materials in school for such a young age group is DEFINITELY inappropriate. Such strong terms should only be introduced to older age groups (that was what happened to my batch - slowly introducing more indepth content relating to sex).
I support you even though I'm just 18! Teaching 12 year olds such inappropriate content is just... wrong. :D
Pro-gay activists fly undercover because they can't form their own society to lobby because of 377A. They have chosen AWARE. And they are coming out with guns blazing to say Christians are the ones with conspiracy theories. Also, many of them permeate New Media and mainstream Media. They are perfectly capable of making alot of noise and projecting a 'majority' perception.
Given the 'tolerance' and liberalism inculcated into our youths today, it'll only be a matter of time before sadly 377A is repealed, same sex marriages legalised and adoption rights too! NO! We need to educate our own children on such matters.
If you disagree with them, then you're 'close-minded', 'fundamentalist', 'bigot' and 'conservative' etc. I believe this is time for parents and Singaporeans who share family values to WAKE up and SPEAK up. Leaving a vacuum will just let the other party fill it with trash. From the EGM and the entire AWARE saga, it goes to show that they don't play fair (Operation Leper). Shoutings and racial and religious slurs were deemed as democracy and right of speech. I call this 'Mob Rule'.
NMP Siew Kum Hong seems to really lend his weight in parliament to stir things up doesn't he? Well, we'll need to start something going to renounce his NMP application for a 2nd term. He seems to revel in sensationalism. 377A? He's there. AWARE? Front row too.
May I also highlight 'Action for AIDS' as well? Sounds neutral right? Who in the right mind would oppose AIDS awareness? Go to their events and websites... and you'll know. Subtle messages are drummed into Singaporeans everyday.
I thought MOS Iswaran said there’s nothing wrong with the CSE after examining it? Well, MOE owes Dr Thio an apology for wanting her to ‘get the facts right’. Now, MOE slaps its own face. The public statement, made before the EGM conveniently, lent support to the Old Guard, and helped knock out Josie and comm. Perhaps a bit too hasty in defending yourself and absolving yourself of blame right after Dr Thio’s allegations? You should have seen the CSE first before coming out public.
All these rabble rabble rabble by parents made me chuckle and wonder whether they actually know what is going on, what their kids are surfing in the Internet inside their rooms.
But nevermind, ignorance is bliss after all.
I think it is rather sad parents are so deluded about their Children. If there as anything coming into being as a young adult, it is learning that all these things are so easily accessible. Sure, my parents tried to "teach me the right things", but at the end of the day, Children are not the imbeciles parents like to think them to be.
Children do have a mind, and do have curiousity. In my teenage years, we sniggered about the girls getting pregnant in the Top 5 JCs. Amazing isn't it? That you would think if they want to experiment sex (which the sad reality is - that is what it is), they would have the brains to use contraceptives.
Of course we should just go "sex is bad sex is bad. Abstinance Abstinance." Then when all hell breaks lose, there goes a pregnant girl off for an abortion. And lets be glad it is just pregnancy and not HIV.
Hi, at least we all know Josie and team did not waste their efforts. Why attack them on their religion, why don't look into what they are trying to save - all the children of course.
[All these rabble rabble rabble by parents made me chuckle and wonder whether they actually know what is going on, what their kids are surfing in the Internet inside their rooms.] - Err...doesn't internet filtering program ring a bell?
[I think it is rather sad parents are so deluded about their Children. If there as anything coming into being as a young adult, it is learning that all these things are so easily accessible. Sure, my parents tried to "teach me the right things", but at the end of the day, Children are not the imbeciles parents like to think them to be.
Children do have a mind, and do have curiousity. In my teenage years, we sniggered about the girls getting pregnant in the Top 5 JCs. Amazing isn't it? That you would think if they want to experiment sex (which the sad reality is - that is what it is), they would have the brains to use contraceptives.
Of course we should just go "sex is bad sex is bad. Abstinance Abstinance." Then when all hell breaks lose, there goes a pregnant girl off for an abortion. And lets be glad it is just pregnancy and not HIV.]
- How many percent are we talking about? There's always gonna be some black sheep. Least the majority of the other kids with good values instilled in them and with self-control have the sense enough to not fall under that catagory. We don't want to go increasing that percentage of kids that you were talking about. Hence all this hype about going against harmfully "teachings" that CSE is introducing.
To chuckling kelvintan:)
What parents do:
One and only computer in the living room.
Norton Parental Control.
Computer literate enough to track websites visited.
Computer literate enough to block known sites.
Parent Administrator only
Parent checking the facebook profile search and contacts when kids run off and forget to log off...:)
We have a few other little tricks up our sleeve....
The computer is easy - it's the TV that's the real corruptor.
RE; I think it's rather sad..
Sniggering boys hanging about corners (now shopping centres), primping girls, smsing instead of handwritten notes, - aiya, age old stuff. Every generation thinks they are the first to discover sexual attraction and sex and their parents are totally ignorant.
If they only knew what went on behing parents bedrooms doors.
but nevermind, ignorance is bliss.
"The file you requested was removed for violating MediaFire's Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy." That is what I got when I tried to look at the files "CSE Basic IG v3.2008.pdf" and "CSE Trainer Interview Questions.pdf". Does anyone know how to get a copy of these files?
send your email address
Thank you for this blog. It is a real shame that so many obvious immoral issues are being taught in school. MOE and AWARE should take responsibility and apologize to all parents in Singapore.
Doesn't MOE have any kind of QUALITY control on the materials taught in school? MOE cannot push to AWARE and said it is the material of AWARE and MOE has nothing to do with it. MOE should have looked into ALL materials that are taught in schools and review them before letting the programme take place....
Lol! I like your humour itshometome "If they only knew what went on behind parents bedrooms doors, but nevermind, ignorance is bliss)" Made me chuckle! ;)
On a less funny note, read this: - http://www.aware.org.sg/presidentmsg/presmsg%207%20may.html
["We are prepared to review these and make any necessary changes so long as the principles and objectives of the CSE are not compromised" (Err...hopefully not the ones that the Sg population are against!); "We hope to be able to resume the CSE programme before too long" (Hopefully never thx!)]
- http://www.aware.org.sg/presidentmsg/may%2009.html
["Your statements, your actions of support have changed the face of civil society in Singapore" (Err...ppl who went to the EGM can testify that the supporters of the old guard and themselves were def. acting less then civil. To name a few: acting like hooligans boardering on lawlessness, forcefully grabbing mics, booing so loud whenever the new exco tried to speak about their plans...just plain unruly...so much so that even the security guards were afraid to remove the violent ones from the hall. Def. not the kind of ppl we want to leave our children in the hands of.) "Our membership has surged and women and men, young and old, now feel empowered by your exemplary voices." (Exemplary voices? Well,I suppose boisterous-hooliganism does come to mind. Not something we want our kids to grow up to be though.)]
Very well put. All sound arguments that any sane person can define as such. It is clear what the content of this so-called syllabus is aimed to achieve - approval of those who had chosen to make homosexuality their way of life and then try to make it seem like something good instead of something abnormal and wrong. It's like a thief telling everyone it's ok to steal because he choses not to stop his own impulses. Like a murderer telling others it's ok to kill because there are others like him and it is wrong to penalise or segregate them. Silly? Not just that! It's extremely dehumanizing.
Commenting on this blog:
[Unless you subscribe to EVERYTHING goes to parenting your child, so be it. Think why you judge it's best for your child to have an education. Think why you said "No" to your child those times when you believed it's best for him/her. i can go on..and on..: BECAUSE we LOVE and want the BEST for our child]
I would suggest to all to understand what is reflective listening in parenting and to practice it not just in parenting but to your everyday dealings with different people.
Do not judge so fast. Study and understand. There are better ways to solve an issue then to confront with your ideals.
My views on AWARE program is neutral. Whether u have it or not does not make a difference for kids to be influenced to be homosexuals.
It all starts in the family and if your kids become homosexuals we have to blame ourselves why? So practice reflective listening with your kids and understand their needs and not judge and push your values in. Times have changed.
Its not abt conservative values as the benchmark on being conservative has changed. If u are conservative might as well say gals do not need to study at all or work or have equality or even remove the woman's charter!
Be more obeservant to changes in the society and the world and be tolerant to it then there will be real peace.
BTW, the whole issue on AWARE sage to me is really abt using religion as a tool and the acts are crusade to me which i do not subscribe. Do not deny this anymore as thou shall not lie unless u say it is god's will to lie for this cause. Then I really have nothing much to say and accept that ego, greed and pride always prevails.
What parents do:
One and only computer in the living room.
Norton Parental Control.
Computer literate enough to track websites visited.
Computer literate enough to block known sites.
Parent Administrator only
Parent checking the facebook profile search and contacts when kids run off and forget to log off...:)
We have a few other little tricks up our sleeve....
======
Hmm, itshometome, I am certainly very happy if the majority of the parents nowadays are sophisticated enough to know all these things.
I had the impression that quite many parents don't even know how to turn on the computer and logon, much less knowing what is bittorrent, Facebook etc etc.
We might get the following scenarios:
"Son, can u come and teach me how to use this Internet Filtering software?"
"Son, what is this Scanlover that I hear them warning us about? What is wrong with loving computer scan images?"
=)
I THOUGHT MOE IMPART GOOD VALUE TO THE CHILDREN THROUGH THE TEACHERS. TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT I DONT KNOW WHAT GOOD VALUE MOE IMPART NOW.
SINCE OUR ISLAND IS SO SMALL AND ALLOWING THIS MORAL TO DESTROY OUR CHILDREN FUTURE AND SINGAPROE FUTURE.
Mr. Keating;
I didn't post your comment because I don't want the discussion to go down that particular path..
sorry.
->itshometome
no problem, just my 2 cents worth from what i studied in sociology and social psychology lol
Re: commenting on this blog.
You are young. With every word you speak, every action you take, a person reveals something of the upbringing and their values system . What you are expounding in Philosophy is called Relativism, though you may not even know it. You believe that judgment is reletive varying with individuals and their environments.
"do not judge and push your values" is your particular value system which you are trying to 'push'.
It's like when someone says "there is no such thing as right and wrong, there are no absolutes" ........ when that statement in itself is an absolute statement:)
@Mystikal.
I note that you support the neutrality of anal sex. If as a medical practioner i may offer an objective secular medical viewpoint.
The anal canal was not designed per say for the sex act. It's mucosa (walls) are physiologically thinner than the vaginal canal, and such are much more prone to rupture, tears and fistulation when subject to trauma of various sorts. It is for this reason that the transmission rates of HIV are in fact much higher via anal intercourse than vaginal intercourse. Just FYI.
PLEASE NOTE I WILL NOT POST COMMENTS THAT ARE ABUSIVE, VIRULENTLY ANTI-GAY OR ARE A PERSONAL ATTACK ON MYSELF OR ANYONE NAMED. THIS IS NOT AN ANTI-GAY SITE - BUT ABOUT THE MOE AND IT'S CSE PROGRAMME.
For the moment that is - When this matter has been resolved/died down, I will go back to being a little backwater site, which hardly anyone visits anymore, and continue my thoughts on en bloc LTSA law.
As the source of these acceptance of anal sex and other rubbish teaching materials came from Aware, this organisation should be suspended and all staff must relinquish their post till investigation is complete. We now know that Iswaran in MOE is unsuitable for his post as he endangers the social and family values of the next generation of Singaporeans.
hi itshometome, i'm reading this particular entry on your blog and the comments that followed with great interest.
i agree that the point "anal sex is healthy" is pushing it a bit. like the commenter who's a medical professional says, it is more risky and carries greater risk of bleeding and HIV transmission. however, seeing it to "soften the ground for gay indoctrination" is surely a bit of an overreaction? after all, some hetero do anal sex, and not all gays do it, and this practice is not something new, it's been around since antiquity.
the other issue is, one session of sex ed will hardly turn anyone gay, don't you think? there's a lot of references to homosexuality in popular media these days, not to mention the internet, which i think people agree not all parents are familiar with.
sometimes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing (the hints and/or misinformation in the media or internet). personally i feel knowing a fuller picture is better and safer. thus, i feel the AWARE CSE is lacking in terms of letting the school children know the dangers of anal sex and just whitewashing it as "can be healthy".
re premarital sex, you mentioned that after 18 years old children should make their own decisions and be responsible for it. however, knowledge about sex and safe practices do not appear overnight, and seeing how the age at which youth are starting to experiment with sex these days are getting younger, it is prudent to equip them with the knowledge earlier as well.
another way of putting it, those who're going to start having sex are not going to stop just because of one lesson of sex education, but they can be taught to practice safe sex.
i can see from your previous comments that you don't believe that gays are more nature than nurture, but the scientific evidence are mounting, although i'm afraid they won't be "unequivocal and universally accepted" and i'm afraid will never be in our lifetime. (lesbians are a different story, but beside the point)
lastly, i'd like to commend you for the coverage, it has given me a better understanding of the concerns of a parent. i'm fairly young and have no children yet, and not religious, thus it doesn't take much imagination to guess that i don't have as much problem about the CSE as some parents do. your argument of it pushing the issue on gay tolerance too much too soon is solid and i agree with you. i'm also impressed by the trouble you choose to take on, screening the comments to weed out the abusive ones and replying to many.
i still disagree with you on some issues (e.g. gay indoctrination, nature vs nurture, premarital sex), but i thank you for the opportunity to post my views here and to (perhaps) discuss things amicably. would be very grateful as well if you could send me the basic instructor guide as the http://tinyurl.com/cxsrwc link doesn't work anymore. my email is tjan09 [at] gmail [dot] com.
respectfully yours,
jan
The abortion rate and teenagers contracting STDs is rising BECAUSE the schools and the media have been teaching them that premarital sex is ok (as long as you use preventive measures). Anal sex can be healthy. Virginity is just a state of Mind. Sex is meant to be fun....(pls read the above blog) No wonder....
My question is, if having sex with a minor (age below 16 / 18) is illegal in the eyes of our law, then why isn't MOE educating our children to abstain from it instead of providing them alternative ways to play around with sex???
To: Jan
A good pal of mine also said that my 'soften the ground..' was reading too much into it. I stood back and thought again. People can read things differently depending on their training; I read and question not only the veracity of the statement but why it was stated at all.
Since the aim of the programme is to reduce pregnancies and abortions in teenagers then anal sex, as a redundant and sterile act mainly confined to homosexuals, would play not part in this. Anal sex is not a central issue in sex education, indeed I have never heard of it being taught at all. Yet here it is, top of the list at no 1. And here we have a group of innocent 12 yr olds hearing about it for the first time in their young lives. This CSE programme is not a hodge-podge of ideas thrown in without thought - a lot of pyschology must have gone into it's making. And if my aim were to 'soften the ground..' then this is exactly how it would be done.
'some hetero do anal sex': an assumption on your part, my assumption would be; not many.
I agree that 'one lesson will not turn anyone gay'; the indoctrination is an attempt at raising the status of homosexuality to that of heterosexuality. It aims to make it acceptable and normal in the eyes of the next generation of heterosexual individuals. The gay community have long tern goals which are beyond the scope of this MOE issue - but that is a whole new can of worms.
I agree lesbians are a different story, and whilst the AWARE CSE might have little or no effect at encouraging male homosexuality, it might have a bigger effect on lesbianism - but I do not want to go into that topic either. I do not want to open up a debate about homosexuality/lesbianism but keep things centred on MOE/CSE!
Even the MOE has come out and said the tone of the instruction is towrards encouraging pre-marital sex (teenage sex). The safe sex message, while it should be taught, will not put a dent in the numbers of abortions/STD infections etc. The tacit encouragment by the authorities will,however, make the numbers increase.
You say scientific evidence is mounting, yet in the next you say it can never be unequivocal. I am a scientist by training, and unless evidence IS shown to be unequivocal and imperical and subject to being repeated by others then it is not scientific proof.
I thank YOU for your comment; it was a pleasure to read.
Hi,is the petition website down? I cannot access it since last night.
Thanks for standing up for our youth. Alot of interesting points. When I was really young, my parents would make sure I did not go near the roads outside my house. They did not educate me about what a car would do to me if I did get hit by a car or that it is alright to go on the road, as long as there were no cars. It was straight out "DON'T GO NEAR THE ROAD". I guess as a kid of about 4 or 5 (and it is a wonder I still remember those years), I would never have understood, I just knew that my parents wanted the best for me. Today, I can make my own decisions as to cross the road (thankfully after 30 years), and I am grateful for the guidance that my parents have giving me. Thanks mom and dad.
My parents have been my guardians till I could make up my own choices. I beg you, as guardians of your children, look after your children. Yes they get information from the internet and movies and sex ed is definitely a must and that abortions and STDs are on the rise. Our children are mis-informed. They read things and hear from people that are not the best source. A 12 year old is way to young to make a life decision on sex and how they should be using their bodies. Hack, even a 18 year old can be too young sometimes. Every now and then, when I pick up the papers and read the news about adults stabbing each other, or leaving their families, I think that hey maybe even adults may not have learnt to make that decision as well. Parents, get a relationship with your kids. Sex Ed in school may accomplish something, but as a parent that has a relationship with your kid, you accomplish alot more. Spend time with them, don't wait for the schools to teach your kids. Let their relationship with you, be the model. This would be difficult yes because we are not perfect and we sometimes build imperfect relationships, but this is why relationships are difficult, because we really really need to work at them.
If are children are so important, why are we not spending more time with them? Why are we afraid to talk to them about sex and their sexual orientation? Why are they not sharing what they are experiencing as youth? Where did the disconnection start?
Our attitudes and relationships that we need to build with our kids are so very important. Their relationships and their views on sex really come from what they see and hear. And if family relationships are non-existent, then they build it from what they hear.
Building that relationship is difficult, because it forces us to confront ourselves and alot of our issues (not the childs but ours which we have plenty of), but it is a must if we really want our child to grow and we want the best for our child.
MOE screwed up, AWARE screwed up. Whatever! Whatever their fault is, that is something they are going to have to clean up and shape up and take responsibility for. But even if they do shape up. What are we doing at home with our kids? Are our kids so important that we leave someone else to teach them about life?
Kids can't make decisions about everything. They do not have the emotional or mental maturity to make decisions no matter how smart they are. Today, kids are smart, but have no wisdom in which they conduct their affairs. As parents, we are called to be their guardians, to guide lead and teach them. Standing aside and letting someone else do our job is not an option.
Finally, thank you for rising up issues no matter how difficult or controversial. I also thank you for protecting our kids from programs like this, programs that feed our kids "choices" that they are not mature enough to make. When such programs come about, I say go back to the drawing board, its not good enough.
Dear itshometome,
Just to let everybody aware, there is definitely something wrong with the access to the web site for the " Parents' appeal to Education Minister Petition to cancel the AWARE CSE Program". It was very strange that the number of signatures being accepted from Thursday night May 7th was ony a few. This was confirmed on Friday when my friend try to sign up on the appeal in the web site but was rejected. Today the web site is down,and we can no longer access it. Looks like they are trying to prevent the public from continue to sign up for the petition. This is simply terrible, that they try to silence the parents and concern citizens voices, and try to cover up the wrongs.
I just hope that the mainstream majority can wake up to the danger of being passive and letting evil triumphs.
To itshometome:
Some maybe young and naive but may grow to be mature and wise while some may be mature and wise and grow to be old and senile.
[It's like when someone says "there is no such thing as right and wrong, there are no absolutes" ........ when that statement in itself is an absolute statement:)]
Well this someone may change his stand on the above statement one day :)
Happy Vesak Day :)
Dear itshometome,
Thank you so much for your Open Letter to MOE !
You have done a great service to society & country, as not many people can articulate the facts & concerns on the CSE/MOE as clearly and concise as you do.
I had re-forwarded the Open Letter to the Minister of Education,Prime Minister, Senior Minister and Minister Mentor, for them to do the right thing, which is to protect our children & society. Thank you so much!
I already sent the letter!!! but not to the PM, SM or MM.
I wish you had informed me before doing that, it was my letter afterall. I posted it only after I had sent it out and not before. It's only one letter among many from the public I am sure the MOE received, nothing special.
The matter has been resolved - there's no need to write anymore!
Although Iswaran at first said something which made him look silly, to his credit he has corrected himself by admitting that MOE should look into the programme. We need more people who have the courage to admit their mistakes and take steps to correct them.
MOE can outsource their programme but they cannot outsource their accountability. I hope they will be more serious and careful now in engaging vendors by getting their facts right.
By the way, the original issue here is about the moral and value behind CSE's sdvocacy for homosexuality. We are not here talking about secular science where there is no right and wrong. It is about morality and value, there is no such thing as 'neutral' (i.e. neither right nor wrong, positive nor negative) but rather we should educate them that there are people find it right and there are people who find it wrong (i.e. both right and wrong) and we should make them aware how the maianstream of the society (regardless whether they are religous or non-religous) find it. They could then choose to consult their parents, teachers or religous mentors but they should be made aware that if they choose to go against the mainstream according to their right, they have to face the risk that they may be branded 'abnormal'.
I don't see how homosexual can be defined as natural or normal just because you can find homosexuals in real life. Look at the natural world and learn from the creatures around us. Even the animals with lower IQ than human beings do not practice homosexuality. How else can we define natural and unnatural??
I think we have given AWARE too much attention and respect. They are just a small secular organisation claiming to represent all women but in actual fact they do not reflect the majority of the women in Singpapore in certain issues such as homosexuality. In the name of 'inclusiveness', they are fighting for the right of certain minority group (in this case the lesbian group) which is expected of a secular organisation. I have no issue with this but I don't think it is appropriate for them to incalcuate this homosexual value to the entire society through the running of CSE, just as the society do not wish to see a religous group pushing their value to others. A few interest groups and vocal, liberal and agressive voices in AWARE do not necessarily represent the voices of the society at large.
Leave AWARE old guards alone even if they are now trying very hard to defend their stand on CSE. I doubt they will preach the same thing to their own children and loved ones. It is sad to see that the old guards and the media (from which the old guards appear to have a strong support and connection)had played up the issue of controvesy over homosexuality to become an issue between a religion and the secular organisations. If the two sides and their supporters are emotional, so are the reporters in the press. Do not expect the press to be objective.
My appreciation and commendation to the new guards for standing up in the open under such tremendous pressure. The objective of drawig MOE and society's attention on the controvesy over homosexuality has been achieved. I hope MOE and the society will reflect on and reexamine this issue in a mature, civilised and responsible manner.
While the AWARE (I call the A Team) may call it CSE Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the new guards (I call it the B Team, 'BEWARE' Team) has highlighted the controversy of the Controversial Sexuality Education. I hope we will now have a more Considerate Sexuality Education programme.
Good account from a mother of a child that was exposed to AWARE's poison:
http://voices.todayonline.com/letter/EDC090507-0000091/online_only_cse_speakers_veered_off_track.html#Letter
Thank you for doing Singapore a favor by exposing the insidious intention of AWARE so that parents and the general public are now more aware of what's happening in the 11 schools. Had not for the courage of Josie Lau and her team to stand out to make a statement, the CSE might soon be taught in most schools. Though I do suspect that the unfortunate religous bent was blown out of proportion by the media, I feel that this matter could have been brought to the public and MOE attention through other channels, thus saving Josie Lau & co the humiliation.
I wish to suggest that sex education should be taught under a broader subject like "marriage and family", in view of the high rate of marital failures, domestic violence and premarital pregnancy. As there are more and more dyfunctional families resulting in children not receiving parental love and acceptance, we should not be surprised to see teenagers seeking "fun" with their companions either of opposite or same sex. Curiosity may prompt them to experiment with the "real stuff", but loneliness and rejection may be the underlying cause for indulgence.
I admit that this topic might go beyond the scope of the MOE but teaching half the truth is worse than teaching nothing. Unless we accept promiscuity as a norm in our society, what better context can we discuss sex except to do so within the safe boundary of marriage?
I don't feel comfortable with the MOE's disclaimer that sex education is ultimately the parents' responsibility when so many students are deprived of parental care and good role models. If we don't bring back the commitment of love and respect within the family, what hope is there for our children to enjoy the "fun" in a trusting relationship?
hi there
stumbled onto your website through a posting on a friend's FB. I don't know much about the furore that's caused this but I can relate to it as I currently live in a country where values are perhaps alot 'looser' than they are in Singapore, where tv programmes from 7pm (so not even after the 9pm watershed) talk about pre-marital sex, children borne out of wedlock, buggery etcetc, where we have the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies in Europe (acc to reliable sources) and where parents should be seen to be 'friends' rather than parents.
My husband and I are worried as we now have a 14 month old son (I know, still young) but perhaps will be very easily misled once he gets to school and perhaps before he even gets to high school. But we live in hope that with parents who rather be parents (than 'friends'), and with moral values (rather Christian-like but since we're not discussing religion here, then I'll refer to them as 'moralistic values') and like-minded friends/family, my son (and perhaps an eventual sibling) will be 'fine'.
Fingers crossed.
Well done for bringing this to my attention.
Having read the many blogs may I make two observations:
1 Religious beliefs have often been raised to stigmatise those who oppose the Comprehensive Sexual Education programme ( especially the Basic Instructor Guide ) even when those who do so repeatedly say that it is not about religious faith. It is about the strong possibility of ousting traditional family and social values that are shared by Singapore society at large. If that view happens to coincide with the religious beliefs and practices of several religious groups in Singapore, that is another matter for discussion. The argument that 'you are merely pushing your religion' has as much logic as saying 'you are pushing your view because you are irreligious'. Many people are wary that the change is for the worse rather than for the better for our young people and therefore for our nation.
It is disingenuous,then, to argue that those who are not in favour of the programme are religious bigots, or narrow-minded, or worse.
I am reminded of what General Sir Archibald Wavell said in his memorandum to the British Chiefs of Staff (1940).
" The elementary principle of all deception is to attract the enemy's attention to what you wish him to see, and to distract his attention from what you do not wish him to see."
2 All exchanges of views can become heated on both sides. In this case,is the disagreement of such intensity for one side to resort to death threats ? It seems to me that to threaten bodily harm in order to silence any opposition is an act borne out of desperation, an act often associated with unconscionable religious fervour. An interesting thought.
i agree with the opinion of the Anon. commenter above who feels uncomfortable if MOE dispensed altogether with CSE and leaves it to the parents (as what a Dr suggested on Saturday's ST Forum). not all parents will do a good job of it, same like not all parents are talented to tutor their kids in maths.
CSE is a tricky issue indeed. on one side, needs to provide enough education, on the other side, cannot too much until get accused of not conforming to mainstream values.
i'd state upfront that i don't approve of teenage sex or careless abortions, yet on the other hand i see the need for a comprehensive sex education that explains such options are available, should they be needed (ideally, they shouldn't but we don't live in an ideal world). likewise anal sex. the option is available for those who want to do it. neutral, no moral baggage, but caveat emptor. risk of tears, blood poisoning, HIV etc.
the other tricky issue is, how old is old enough? i suspect it's better to err on the side of caution - yet we can't follow the 'slowest bloomer' because there are people who remain celibate for life... like that no need sex ed what??
It's incomprehensible that after MOE's announcement that Aware's programme contained objectionable materials, Dana the President could still defend it and insinuated that MOE's guidelines are outdated.
Aware showed there was no need for any apologies and made ridiculous excuses that these contents were "confidential" and only for Trainers. What an airhead!
How can such an organization be trusted? Do write to MOE if you have lost all trust and respect for Aware after this sorry saga. After all that has happened, I certainly hope they are not going to partner Aware as an external vendor in the future.
It is against the law to have sex with a minor. What are they doing demonstrating the use of condoms to this age group of people?
Aware has gone against MOE's guidelines, our law and the Govt.'s direction.
Even to this day, they are STILL publicising their Basic CSE Programme on their website. It's listed under the heading "Public Education". You will see then this course under "Aware Training Institute". The fee is $500 per workshop.
On the website they brazenly state that:
CSE has been conducted in various secondary schools and welfare homes in Singapore and is well respected as a responsible and appropriate approach to sexuality education.
http://www.aware.org.sg/?page_id=88
We should inform the Govt about this brazen publicity!!
If there is a petition requesting MOE to censure and bar Aware PERMANENTLY from any future sex programmes, do let us know. Surely there are more responsible organizations that can do a better job.
This portal is good for any of you who have some opinion about having MOE remove Aware from future programmes. You can also go to Aware's website and see that the re-elected committee has is still offering the controversial CSE programme to the public. Nothing has been said about removing those objectionable contents. With the age group targeted from 12-14yrs old and 15-18yrs old, we should have some concerns indeed.
http://www.aware.org.sg/?page_id=88
If you have any feedback and suggestions on a particular government policy or issue, you can go to
http://app.reach.gov.sg/olcp/asp/mis/mis02.asp
Use the General Feedback Form on their site and they are said they will help to bring your feedback to the attention of the relevant government agencies, which will reply directly to you.
Thank you.
I agree with itshometome about the CSE subject. Furthermore anal sex is medically unhealthy.
PARENTS WHO PREFER TO HAVE THE OPT IN RATHER THAN OPT OUT APPROACH, please let MOE know. The Opt Out option allowed Aware to sneak in without parents knowledge as the forms for opting out were not handed out. It is better to have the Opt IN forms so parents definitely have to sign before allowing their children to attend any sexuality programmes by external agencies.
If you prefer the OPT IN, go to the reach singapore website (just google Reach Singapore).
When you get to the Reach website, You will see on the righthand side of the page "Something to say" with picture of a hand typing on a keyboard. Click and it will bring you to the feedback form.
MOE is in the process of tying up the programme so this is the best time to let them know.
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