“Sex education not disappearing entirely”, Fernando Alexandre assures
Education minister Fernando Alexandre has tried to calm the absolute frenzy that erupted since it became clear that certain aspects of ‘sexual education’ are to be dropped from the Citizenship and Development curriculum in favour of teaching ‘financial literacy’ and ‘entrepreneurship’.
Parties of the left seized on the idea – now in public consultation – suggesting it was “a serious step backwards” in children’s rights; psychologists warned of an increase in violence against women – voices even claimed there would be a rush of teenage pregnancies, and exponential increase in sexually-transmitted diseases.
Mr Alexandre today has done his best to tell everyone to ‘calm down’. Sex education will not be disappearing from the school curriculum, there is simply a shift in new learning considered essential for the subject of Citizenship and Development…
“My greatest concern as Minister of Education (…) is how we are going to ensure, in those subjects that we all consider essential for the formation of citizens, that our students will actually be able to acquire these skills,” he said.
Financial literacy, for one, is a skill that so many who have already left school wish they had been taught in the classroom. For now, Alexandre has said his bit, and the period of public consultation is set to run its course, with the ministry of education keen to hear the views of parents, families, schools and society in general. ND
source material: LUSA/ noticiasaominuto
