Elam brought a new bill on sex education in schools to the House education committee on Wednesday, causing a fierce debate on the subject among committee members.
The party said the bill offers a “clarification” that sex education in Cypriot schools “concerns exclusively the protection of children from threats and dangers of a sexual nature, as well as the protection of their personal hygiene”.
Elam MP Sotiris Ioannou told the committee that while “public statements and proclamations say one thing” on the matter, the existing legislation “says another”.
He said that due to the “vague” nature of the existing law may even make it unconstitutional, and that “the media has recorded unacceptable incidents and issues which are prohibited by the legislation,” including teachings about gender identity.
Disy MP Georgios Karoullas said his party “expects that the education ministry will submit a relevant, comprehensive proposal” for parents to be consulted with over the matter of sex education in schools, but most other committee members had little time for Elam’s proposal.
Akel MP Andreas Kafkalias was first up, saying his party “strongly disagrees with the proposed bill, both in spirit and in content”, and said that were the bill to be passed into law, it would “essentially abolish holistic sexual education and nullify the right of children to information, empowerment, health and the timely formation of a responsible individual conscience”.
These things, he said, are “essential elements for their protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and violence”.
“Elam insists on reopening non-existent issues, opening a new cycle of unnecessary and harmful confrontation and disruption in schools and society,” he said, adding that stakeholders have on other occasions informed the committee that sex education is being implemented “without any problems” in schools across the country.
He added that the bill “violates international conventions on the rights of the child”, and that, by contrast, for Akel, “children’s best interests are above all else”.
Volt’s Alexandra Attalides said the existing law has been “universally accepted”.
“This bill which we have before us has no other purpose but to raise the issue again,” she added.
Attalides had previously told the House human rights committee that an earlier introduction of sex education in Cyprus’ schools “would have saved many children” from abuse.
She said research into the matter had identified the need for sex education to be taught to children in Cyprus as early as 1976, and pointed out that studies carried out across Europe show that sex education “protects children from abusers”.
She said that over 400 complaints are filed to the Children’s House regarding sexual abuse of minors every year and that data from Europe suggests that only a third of incidences of sexual abuse are reported, she estimates that over 1,000 children in Cyprus are victims of sexual abuse every year.
However, the introduction of sex education into Cyprus’ schools was delayed for almost five decades. For this, Attalides blamed what she described as “the state allowing speakers to misinform and terrorise society on an issue which has been resolved abroad.”
The teaching of sex education classes in Cypriot public schools was only approved by cabinet in January last year.
Attalides said the matter of sex education had been subjected to “an orgy of misinformation and targeting” and called on Education Minister Athena Michaelidou to “come forward” and defend the practice.
