Politics and ideology ahead of science. “Schools were not heard” about the announced withdrawal of sexual education from the discipline of citizenship – a “setback” in the eyes of experts and directors.
For the government, sexuality is not an essential learning. The new proposal of the Ministry of Education, currently in public consultation until 1 August, suggests changes that the sexual education as an explicit component of the discipline of citizenship and development in Portuguese schools.
Experts and school principals have rushed to denounce that the measure is a “backwardness“.
A, Manuel Pereira, president of the National Association of School Leaders, classifies the government’s decision as “a assignment to far-right ideologies“:” It is a setback because nothing has changed so that this was justified. “
Also Filinto Lima, president of the National Association of Directors of Grouping and Public Schools, admits that the “adjustments” to the program were made to “satisfy parents”.
“It serves to drown out some noise that existed, considers.“ It is a more political than pedagogical option, The schools were not heard“, Points, in.
From the point of view of psychology, psychologist Margarida Gaspar de Matos considers that the removal of the sexuality of the compulsory curriculum represents a loss of opportunity to promote respect, combat stereotypes and develop essential social skills.
“Parents who want [estar presentes na definição de temas a serem abordados na disciplina] do not have any scientific background that goes beyond an ideology“, He points out, recalling:“ It is in the family that the greatest barbarities of sexual abuse occur. ”The expert also points to studies that prove that sex education contributes to the postponement of the beginning of sexual activity and the most responsible use of condoms.
“We are talking about science, content that has already scientifically proved that they help in terms of public health,” warns expert Mafalda Cruz, who stresses that the old idea that education comes from home and not from school is wrong.
“We cannot require parents to have scientific knowledge to talk about sexuality, sexuality is a science. We do not trust parents to speak of biology or mathematics. Sexuality is science“, Warns.
The discipline of Citizenship and Development, mandatory in the 2nd and 3rd cycles, will include eight central areas: human rights, democracy and political institutions, sustainable development, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, health, media, risk and road safety, pluralism and cultural diversity. However, although the theme of health is present, the proposed contents They do not include any clear mention of sex education.
According to the documents made available – the national strategy of citizenship education and essential learning – only the issues of identity and gender expression can be indirectly addressed in the context of human rights.
With the exclusion of the sexuality of citizenship, the theme will be restricted to the natural scienceswhere it is approached from a predominantly biological perspective, leaving aside social, emotional and relational dimensions.
