Lets Not Go There, Tell Parents You're Teaching Kids About Homosexuality
October 9th 2007 15:52
We don't see gay sex on the news, some consider it to be a conspiracy to cover up what gay sex is all about. That doesn't explain why straight sex doesn't show on the six o'clock news either. If you think about it straight sex can be just as iffy as gay sex if not more.
Which is of course great, I don't want to see blatant sex on TV. Does this, however, apply in school? No doubt throughout many schools there is a lot of behind the doors (or not so much behind the doors) 'teaching' going on either pro-homosexuality or anti-homosexuality.
There are cases in which children have been 'gagged' by their school from telling their parents they were taught about homosexuality (granted the details probably are exaggerated), of course the opposite has also happened.
The question of wether or not to allow children to be taught this isn't one of belief, or 'open mindedness' vs 'religous minded'. In reality there is no one way of belief better than the other, someone who is 'open minded' is in a state of mind, as is someone who is 'religously minded'. Someone saying 'I'm better because I'm open minded' is no different than a christian saying 'I'm better because I'm a christian'. There is no right or wrong answer here and all the arguments fall well and truly into the category of bullshitty self reightousness.
Either state of mind can hold extremism, one can go as far as to justify every bit of thing wrong with a human as if it were natural and the other can cast out those with disease as being cursed by the devil.
The bottom line is education on homosexuals is not a matter of right or wrong or belief, it's a matter of parental consent that varies from one person to another.
If you are going to be teaching such topics to students the parents should know, the curriculum should be open for all to read and understand. There should be no penalty (at least none too harsh) imposed to those who selectively don't go to such and such class teaching such and such subject.
There should be no back door seminars on 'tolerance' going on. Just because one group thinks it's right to believe in something doesn't automaticaly make it so that everyone should be taught it. Whatever it's based on however it is presented, if children are 'taught' things behind the parents back only bad will come of it.
Which is of course great, I don't want to see blatant sex on TV. Does this, however, apply in school? No doubt throughout many schools there is a lot of behind the doors (or not so much behind the doors) 'teaching' going on either pro-homosexuality or anti-homosexuality.
There are cases in which children have been 'gagged' by their school from telling their parents they were taught about homosexuality (granted the details probably are exaggerated), of course the opposite has also happened.
The question of wether or not to allow children to be taught this isn't one of belief, or 'open mindedness' vs 'religous minded'. In reality there is no one way of belief better than the other, someone who is 'open minded' is in a state of mind, as is someone who is 'religously minded'. Someone saying 'I'm better because I'm open minded' is no different than a christian saying 'I'm better because I'm a christian'. There is no right or wrong answer here and all the arguments fall well and truly into the category of bullshitty self reightousness.
Either state of mind can hold extremism, one can go as far as to justify every bit of thing wrong with a human as if it were natural and the other can cast out those with disease as being cursed by the devil.
The bottom line is education on homosexuals is not a matter of right or wrong or belief, it's a matter of parental consent that varies from one person to another.
If you are going to be teaching such topics to students the parents should know, the curriculum should be open for all to read and understand. There should be no penalty (at least none too harsh) imposed to those who selectively don't go to such and such class teaching such and such subject.
There should be no back door seminars on 'tolerance' going on. Just because one group thinks it's right to believe in something doesn't automaticaly make it so that everyone should be taught it. Whatever it's based on however it is presented, if children are 'taught' things behind the parents back only bad will come of it.
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Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Of course there arent going to be 'classes' teaching kids about about gay people - but differing sexualities should be recognised in every aspect of social institutions along with diversity in gender, ethnicity, culture, class and ability. Anything else is simply reinforcing essentialism in dominant hegemony.
Michaelie
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
As for recognizing the differences in people (be it cultural or sexual) in schools and such places, I'm all for it. That doesn't change the fact that teaching kids about such matters without parental consent is wrong.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Does that mean you think teachers who inform students of the scientific origins of the world should still be inprisoned for being blasphemous?
Teachers shouldn't show a bias on matters where there is no right and wrong, just personal opinion, but how could anyone say ignoring diversity in favour of the norm is right?
If a teacher was criticised for generally talking about homosexual families in the course of their classes, but not nuclear families, they are effectively being told that heterosexuality is natural and acceptable but homosexuality is taboo. To reiterate: all diversity needs to be recognised in these environments in order to combat hegemonic thinking.
Remember when maths exercises were all about how many apples blond haired Johnny sold to Blue eyed Suzie?
Michaelie
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
I don't think teachers should be withheld from teaching, but I do think parents should know full well what their kids are being taught. There should be no back door 'teaching' going on because as it is plainly evident it does no good.
A teacher should be free to teach what is in the course work, but the course work should be open to parents to see. So if a parent, for instance, doesn't want his or her child to learn about sex at school but would rather teach it him/herself then the child could be withheld from attending the class about sex.
By and large I dont think it would be that much of a shake up if parents had easier access to the course work their kids are doing. I believe there should be absoloute transperency in the education system irrespective of what might or might not feel right or wrong to teach. When it comes down to it all it isn't a matter of teaching kids to be good or bad, it's more about what the parents think.
If we really want to open the eyes of the narrowminded to the diversity of human life we have to start with them, not their kids. Teaching kids such things behind the backs of the parents can only cause further negative resentment than if there was a more open and organic connection between the school, students and parents.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
In regards to actual classes focused on sex education - I can maybe understand if parents wanted to teach this themselves in some circumstances, though in my mind it could only be a plus to work in tandem with the resources of a school.
When I talk about the rest, I just mean general inclusion. If they are going to talk about people in any way they should be talking about ALL people, not just the 'type' of person that dominates social ideals.
It was good to discuss this with you, Ahmed.
Michaelie
Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
The question is what do the parents think is best for their children?