Education Review Office – Sex Education Report

Media Release Education Review Office – Sex Education Report 26 August 2007

Right to Life is disappointed that the recent Education Review Office [ERO] report on sexuality education failed to evaluate the effectiveness of the current education programme. What are the results of decades of comprehensive sex education in schools? New Zealand has the second highest rate of teen pregnancies in the OECD and an increasing rate of teenage abortions. We also have an alarming and escalating epidemic in sexually transmitted diseases, [STDs].

ERO states that the stated objective of the review was;

 Reduce the number of teenagers with sexually transmitted infections.
 Reduce the rate of unplanned teenage pregnancies; and
Improve the ability of teenagers to avoid and/or deal effectively with coercive and other abusive practices.

Right to Life requests that the ERO produce the evidence that proves that the teaching of comprehensive sex education in our schools achieves these objectives.

The ERO report states; that “New Zealand research shows that many teenagers have incomplete or inaccurate knowledge about safe sex practices.”“Safe sex”is a pernicious, false and dangerous lie. Why does ERO continue to promote to our youth this immoral falsehood. The official line that “Safe Sex” is effective, is sending a message that is actually endangering the health of our young people. Morally it promotes fornication and it is also an attack on the dignity of our God given sexuality?

The review reveals that of the 100 schools studied, 30 per cent were implementing the Ministry of Education, programme, Curriculum in Action, and 18 per cent were using resources provided by Family Planning officers. Both of these resources promote comprehensive sex education and “safe sex” with condoms. The review states that “...programmes should treat delaying sexual intercourse as a priority, but should also focus on safe sexual practices.”

Stop telling our children lies. Our children deserve the truth. The only safe sex is abstinence.
The time has now come for ERO, the Ministries of Education, Health and Women’s Affairs, to stop promoting a culture of death with its false “Safe Sex” message.
Failed comprehensive sex education, as promoted by the Ministries of Education and Family Planning should be withdrawn and replaced with successful abstinence based programmes that will result in a decline in teenage pregnancies, abortions and STDs and promote happy and healthy teenagers.

Ken Orr
Spokesperson.

ENDS

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