The widely-debated Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code—which criminalises sexual intercourse between two consenting male adults—may be getting repealed, but nothing about the education system will be changing.
Pigs would sooner fly than sexuality talks getting an overhaul because of homosexuality.
You only need to look at the counsellor from Hwa Chong Institution who got off lightly at first for giving a homophobic sexuality talk to roughly gauge the Education Ministry’s views on the topic, honestly.
If anything, it shows that the educational institutions don’t want to touch the topic unless they absolutely have to.
Status Quo, Status Quo
In a statement made by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Monday (22 Aug), it emphasised that schools and institutions of higher learning must remain as safe spaces for students to accumulate knowledge, as opposed to turning into grounds for activism or debate over socially divisive issues.
Education policies and curriculum will continue to focus on Singapore’s usual family values and social norms, which includes the notion of family being the building blocks of Singapore’s society, and a marriage between a man and a woman.
Well, given our low birth rates, it might not be wise to promote alternatives…
Family and social norms must be preserved by Singaporeans and foreign institutions, and foreigners should respect these traditions and cultures, said MOE, warning against any attempts to use these educational institutions to further their own agendas.
The ministry maintains that sexuality education will be built on traditional values and should stay secular, while being sensitive to the various races and religions that form our society.
Students will also be instilled with values such as “mutual respect, understanding and empathy for everyone”.
In the same vein, MOE also cautions against the breeding of bullying, prejudices and cancel culture on educational grounds.
In short, just learn to be decent human beings and try not to discriminate.
Since the repealing of Section 377A might send mixed messages to all levels of society, MOE stated that education institutions will continue to work closely with parents to guide the children and provide socio-emotional support to all students, depending on their needs.
Featured Image: Shutterstock / Dr David Sing