21 Sep Jamaica: Education officials ban ‘homosexual’ textbook
The Jamaican Ministry of Education has recalled part of its high school curriculum after a TV news report showed parents and teachers had complained about its content on same-sex relationships and gay sexual health.
The Jamaica Observer reports questions designed to get a better understanding of the sexual preferences of students from the age of 10 – 13 included:
“Have you ever had anal sex? Have you ever used a condom [for] anal sex? How many sexual partners have you had? Do you know your HIV status? Do you know the HIV status of your partners?” and “If you have never slept with a member of your own sex, is it possible that you might be gay if you tried it?”
Most of the parents interviewed for the TV report thought the questions were inappropriate for children, but at least two said they did not have a problem with them.
It is claimed the report also revealed that teachers should ask children which body part gave them the most pleasure and to sing a song about it.
Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has ordered that the textbook be withdrawn from Jamaica’s school system and revised.
“I consider sections of the material inappropriate for any age and certainly for the grade 7 and 8 students for which it is designed,” Mr Thwaites said in a statement on Friday.