Fears Of Homosexual Teachers ‘unfounded’ (Press, 13 March 1986)
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Summary: Fears Of Homosexual Teachers ‘unfounded’ (Press, 13 March 1986)
On 13 March 1986, New Zealand's Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, addressed concerns regarding the newly introduced health syllabus in response to questions from Mr Bruce Ferrand during a Canterbury Education Board meeting. Ferrand relayed anxieties from various small school committees about potential biases from teachers who might promote homosexuality through the syllabus. He highlighted that some schools have only one teacher, raising worries that a teacher with "different personal tendencies" could influence their students. Mr Marshall reassured the board that there would be no opportunity for promoting different types of relationships within the primary school syllabus, clarifying that the curriculum focused on pubertal changes for Form 1 and Form 2 students, while discussions about relationships were reserved for secondary education. He expressed skepticism that any teachers would try to push a homosexual agenda, stating that it would be prohibited, and that teachers would receive guidance on acceptable practices. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the process for designating schools to teach the new syllabus. Some principals had reportedly asked chairpersons of their school committees to sign requests for designation without providing clarity to those chairpersons, leading to instances where schools were designated without proper consultation with their respective committees. Mrs Ruth Cowell pointed out the confusion among chairpersons who felt obliged to sign the requests without understanding the implications. In response, Mr Marshall encouraged the board to ensure that school committees are consulted before any designation, suggesting that principals should engage carefully with their committees to prevent similar misunderstandings in the future.
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