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Summary: Parents Need Assistance With Sex Education —... (Press, 4 July 1985)
A survey conducted in the Fendalton electorate has revealed that a majority of respondents believe parents should be the primary source of information regarding sexuality and human relationships. The survey was initiated by local MP Phillip Burdon and included 2000 questionnaires, which also addressed public opinion on the legalisation of homosexuality. The results indicated that 52 per cent of participants opposed the legalisation, while 46 per cent supported it, with the remainder undecided. On the topic of education, 53 per cent of respondents expressed full support for a school-based programme on human relationships, while 46 per cent were supportive with reservations, and only 10 per cent opposed it outright. Among those with reservations, a significant number had specific concerns: 60 per cent wanted a specially trained individual with strong moral and personal standards to lead the programme, and 58 per cent preferred parental involvement or at least notification regarding the content. Additionally, 28 respondents were against the inclusion of liberal ideas, citing concerns about some classroom teachers' low ethical standards, while a further 20 respondents suspected that classroom teachers lacked the appropriate moral framework. Other notable concerns included the necessity for programmes to be age-appropriate (14 votes), worries about the potential promotion of deviant behaviours (8 votes), and a handful of parents (5 votes) considering withdrawing their children to private Christian schools if they deemed the educational content unsuitable. Others emphasised that educational material must be factual and unbiased (4 votes) and that the role of any programme should not overshadow that of parents (3 votes). When asked to identify the sources of information their children currently accessed regarding sexuality and human relationships, parents ranked highest, followed by family members, schools, friends, and the media in descending order of importance. The survey also indicated a consensus that while parents should take the lead in this education, schools should be the secondary source, followed by family members, media, friends, and finally newspapers and magazines. Despite the emphasis on parental responsibility, there was a clear indication that many parents feel the need for additional support in educating their children about human relationships. Specifically, respondents indicated they required factual information (218 votes), help with communication (137 votes), and a structured school-based programme (168 votes) to better assist them in this significant aspect of parenting.
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