Contraception clashes between religion and PSD lessons – Labour MP

The way contraception is taught in PSD lessons clashes with the way it is taught in religion lessons, Labour MP Deborah Schembri said.

“PSD lessons encourage contraception as a way of preventing sexual diseases, whereas religion discourages it as a way of preventing life,” Schembri said during a social affairs committee meeting with Educational Department representatives to discuss the way state and church schools are implementing the government’s sexual health policy. “It is likely that children will get confused by such contradictory messages, ask their parents about it, and get even more confused.”

Religion teacher Kathleen Bonello said that religion classes brush on the topic of contraception, but that the over-arching message is that sex exists to create life.

PSD teacher Stephen Camilleri said that such a ‘contradiction’ in education could actually help children develop a wider, more holistic view of the world. He admitted that contraceptive education is “more accepted” in state schools than it is in church schools.

Bonello also said that a new religion syllabus will incorporate attributes related to sexuality as from Year 1.

“From Year 1, religion classes will teach children to respect other people and accept people who are different to them, with Jesus as their role model,” Bonello said.

When questioned by Schembri about how religion classes tackle issues of civil unions, divorcees, and co-habituating couples, Bonello said that the family and marriage is first taught about in Year 5, with teachers careful not to teach students that separated families are in any way ‘wrong’ families.

“In Form 3, religion deals with relationships, including LGBT relationships,” Bonello said. “The syllabus states that gay people must be accepted and that not accepting them could psychologically harm them. Although it may not be easy for the teachers, they must understand that every person is unique and has a right to dignity.”

The sexual health policy calls on schools to teach students to develop a positive attitude of sexuality and to communicate about sexuality and relationships.

In his presentation, PSD teacher Stephen Camilleri pointed out that education on relationships starts from Year 3, with education on sexual changes commencing and having babies starting in Year 4. However, he warned that sexual education is lacking amongst disabled children- both those in mainstream schools and those in special schools. He also called for more sexual education for parents and post-secondary adolescent students.

Schembri reiterated her belief that some sort of assessment should be introduced to find out whether the sexual health education message is getting across to them. However, Camilleri warned that that any assessment will be incredibly difficult, due to the great variation in children’s attitudes and the several conflicting messages on sex that children receive in the media and outside the classroom.