Psychologists, teachers and children's rights defenders write a letter and explain why health education is so important and why a child must learn to respond to and name inappropriate behavior. And in a discussion about a new subject, it is worth asking why those who criticize health education apparently do not know the provisions of its program.
– Not every child has access to such knowledge at home – points out Marta Skierkowska from the “We Give Children Strength” Foundation, a signatory of the open letter in defense of health education.
Psychologist Marta Skierkowska is one of the people who decided to defend the new subject. – We are on the right track when creating a subject such as health education – he says.
But not everyone agrees. The new item was strongly criticized by part of the public opinion. That is why a letter was written in defense of health education. Psychologists, educators and defenders of children's rights agree that the subject has many key elements related to the safety of children and adolescents.
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– Sexual education, which is a small but important part of the health education program, is a basic, fundamental preventive factor that prevents sexual violence against minors – points out Dr. Tomasz Terlikowski, philosopher and publicist, signatory of the open letter in defense of health education.
What is important in the discussion about the core curriculum of a new subject is, above all, knowledge of it. Which is not so obvious.
PiS MPs protest
– This is the sexualization of small children – comments Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, an MP from Law and Justice.
– Our core curriculum does not sexualize. It does exactly the opposite, says Antonina Kopyt, who is part of the team creating the core health education curriculum. We read in it that a student of grades VII-VIII “identifies elements of sexualization.” What for? So that he can recognize and respond to unacceptable behavior.
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– Sexualization is unwanted messages about sexuality – says Antonina Kopyt. – These will be, for example, jokes made by uncles at a family dinner about changes in the appearance of people as they mature – he points out.
Nobody will teach children to masturbate, we hear. The project states that a 4th-6th grade student “identifies pubertal changes that are medically normal, for example autosexual behavior.”
– A child, as a human being, must be aware that certain needs and certain thoughts will appear – says Dr. Iga Kazimierczyk, president of the “Space for Education” Foundation and member of the “Free School” Initiative, signatory of the open letter in defense of health education.
The bishops claim that the subject of health education is contrary to the constitutionRenata Kijowska/Fakty TVN
PiS politicians are not convinced and point to elements of the program regarding “cisgenderism or transgenderism”. The document states that students in the oldest grades of primary school will be able to explain concepts such as gender identity or transgenderism.
– So that people who are entering adult life simply know what the various concepts that we talk about so much mean – says Antonina Kopyt, family life teacher and member of the health education team.
The base design is online. Everyone can read it.
Main photo source: TVN24