ELAM requests clarification on sexual education with a bill proposal to the Education Ministry, disagreements from MPs
The sexual education lesson includes “unacceptable incitements” and “issues that are prohibited by the legislation of the Republic of Cyprus itself, such as gender identity,” ELAM reported on Wednesday., whose members submitted a relevant proposal for a law to clarify the relevant legislation. The issue was discussed during today's session of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture, with other members expressing disagreement with the proposal and speaking of unnecessary stirring up of the issue.
The proposal for a law by the ELAM Members, Christou Christou, Linou Papagianni and Sotiris Ioannou referred to a clarification that the legislation on Education to Prevent Sexual Abuse and Sexual Risks concerns exclusively the protection of children from threats and dangers of a sexual nature, as well as the protection of their personal hygiene.
After the Committee ended, ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou stated that “public statements and proclamations say one thing and the legislation on sexual education says another,” adding that “we heard (ed. within the Committee) that the goal is to protect children and prevent sexual abuse and we wonder why the law does not specify these things.” ELAM, he continued, is proposing exactly this in response to the “vagueness” of sexual education, as voted by the Plenary of the Parliament in 2022, saying that even then, the Legal Service noted that this is an unconstitutional law.He said that the lesson today is being held based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization and many of the involved bodies and authorities disagree with this, since, as he mentioned, the media record “unacceptable incitements or issues that are prohibited by the legislation of the Republic of Cyprus itself, such as gender identity”. Finally, he said that the Ministry of Education agrees with the proposal of ELAM to hold seminars and lectures for parents, so that they can be helped to prevent sexual abuse.
The DISY MP, Giorgos Karoullas, stated that “we expect the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth to submit a relevant, comprehensive proposal for the consultation with organized parents on the basis that the Ministry is responsible for what and how is taught in public education.”
AKEL MP, Andreas Kafkalias, said that “we strongly disagree with the proposed law that ELAM has submittedand with the spirit and content of the proposal”. He added that the ELAM proposal essentially abolishes holistic sexual education and cancels the right of children to information, empowerment, health and the timely formation of a responsible individual conscience, which, as he said, are essential elements for their protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and violence.
“ELAM insists on bringing back non-existent issues, opening a new cycle of unnecessary and harmful confrontation and disruption.”in schools and society”, said Mr. Kafkalias. He added that as reported by the competent bodies within the Committee, the existing law on sexual education is applied without problems in schools. Finally, he stated that the ELAM proposal violates international conventions on the rights of the child, saying that “for us, the best interests of the child are above all”.
The Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Member of Parliament DIKO, Chrysanthos Savvidis, said that in relation to the sex education lesson “we welcome the Government's decision to bring an amendment to involve parents in this process of educating young people”. He added that essentially everything that applied in elementary education and in high school continues to exist, only some seminars have been added to some branches of the high school cycle. “We are pleased with the way education is done today”, noted Mr. Savvidis.
The independent Member of Parliament, Alexandra Attalidou, stated for her part that the law that was passed and has been implemented is universally accepted, noting that “this law proposal which is before the the Education Committee has no other purpose than to shake up the issue again.” He pointed out that “we as the Human Rights Committee have voted for this proposal because children also have rights and they are guaranteed by international conventions that Cyprus has signed”.
