Mi Choza De Nipa

AWARE SAGA He regrets backing new exco in his sermon Alicia Wong alicia@mediacorp.com.sg SENIOR pastor of the Church Of Our Saviour Derek Hong has issued a public apology for using the pulpit to give backing to the Association of Women for Action and Research's (Aware) executive committee in their dispute with the group's previous leadership. "My actions on the pulpit have aroused some tension in this saga," he said, "I now stand corrected. I undertake to be more sensitive to similar situations in the future." Hackles were raised recently when he encouraged female churchgoers to "be engaged" and support Aware president Josie Lau and "her sisters" in the women advocacy group, in a weekend sermon posted on the church's website. Last Sunday, the pastor also invited his congregation to pray for Aware president Josie Lau and her husband, who stood next to Mr Hong on stage. "I regret that this matter has caused concern and unhappi...

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday that some parents have expressed concern over the content found in an “AWARE Comprehensive Sexual Education: Basic Instructor Guide” that has been posted online. The MOE said it was investigating this matter. Apart from MOE’s own sexuality education programme, the ministry said that “schools can also collaborate with other agencies”. In doing so, schools must ensure that any programmes run by external agencies are guided by the same principles set out in MOE’s framework for sexuality education, said the ministry.   Why do schools engage external agencies? As the needs of students vary across schools, schools are given the autonomy to decide on topics that would best meet their students’ needs to augment sexuality education in schools; and also on which external agency to engage. For this purpose, guidelines on the engagement of external organisations to conduct sexuality education have been given to schools. What are ...

SEXUALITY EDUCATION Don't just leave it to schools or authorities Letter from Woon Sook Yi I REFER to "Content of sessions was appropriate" from Ms Sum Chee Wah, director of Education Programmes, Ministry of Education (MOE) (April 29). I write as a parent of three children. I can tell the scope of subjects taught in school from its textbooks. However, family values cannot be adequately taught in school. A child's identity is largely shaped by his or her family values and upbringing, moral and religious beliefs included. A child's growth encompasses his or her emotional, physical and mental needs, as well as awareness of his or her sexuality. All these needs should be fundamentally addressed at home. Therefore, I would suggest that the MOE relook its scope on guiding students over such non-textbook, sensitive issues. Sexuality education in particular. Sexuality education delivered by external parties, who are also shaped by a value system, cannot be neutral or bala...

Anybody knew about this alleged unwholesome sex education by AWARE, not to mention their endorsement of "pink parents" concept, a family unit made up to 2 gays or 2 lesbians, and an adopted child? Would be good to come out in the open… ----- AWARE'S SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMME Letter from Sum Chee Wah (Ms) Director, Education Programmes Ministry of Education (MOE) WE REFER to recent claims and comments about Aware's sexuality education programme in schools. Sexuality education conducted in MOE schools is premised on the importance of the family, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues. The aim is to help students make responsible values-based choices on matters involving sexuality. Core programmes are delivered by teachers but schools do collaborate with other agencies in delivering additional modules. However, in doing so, schools must ensure that programmes run by external agencies are secular an...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 04-Jun-2008 edition A Bullied Child By Dr Bill Maier Would you know if your child was being bullied in school? Most of us think we know our kids pretty well, but they don’t always give clear clues about what’s going on in their world. When kids are bullied it’s embarrassing for them and they may not want their parents to know about it, even though they need someone to confide in. There are some signs we can watch out for. Some kids may develop irrational fears that they didn’t have before. When it comes time for school, they may complain of vague physical ailments, such as headaches or stomach pain. Other kids may develop nightmares, or have trouble sleeping. Any behaviour that seems out of the ordinary may mean your child is struggling with a bully at school. Of course, it could also signal a more serious problem. Observant parents are quick to notice these changes and even quicker to step in and help. Kids who are most reluctant to talk about their pr...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 15-Feb-2008 Edition by Dr Bill Maier "KEEPING KIDS INNOCENT" Here's one of my biggest worries -- how am I going to keep my kids from some of the corrupting influences in our sex-saturated culture? If you're a parent of young kids, I'm sure you worry about the same thing. It seems you can't turn on the TV without being assaulted by profanity, violence and sexual images. Even many so-called "family shows" aren't safe to watch with your kids. And a lot of secular music these days has reached an all-time low on the morality scale. So, what is a parent to do? First of all, we need to pay attention. It's naive to think that our kids aren't affected by what they see and hear. Our first job as parents is to monitor what they're watching and listening to. Young kids should never be allowed to flip through TV channels or surf the Internet without supervision. And finally, we need to talk to our kids about making...