National Parent-Teacher Association”Totally Rejects” Offer By JFLAG to Offer Counselling in Schools
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) has completely rejected an offer made by the Jamaica Forum for Lesbian, All Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) to offer counselling in schools.
According to the Gleaner, in a release to the media NPTAJ President Everton Hannam poured cold water on the suggestion made by the gay lobby. “The NPTAJ rejects totally, the offer made by J-FLAG to conduct counselling in schools,” Hannam said.
J-FLAG had said it is willing to help the education ministry and guidance counsellors improve their assistance to students who have problems with their sexuality. J-FLAG’s offer of assistance came after news that some of the more than 800 guidance counsellors in the school system are refusing to help students identified as gay or lesbian.
In a statement, the lobby group’s executive director, Dane Lewis, said he is deeply concerned at the reports and is calling for the education ministry to intervene with strategies to equip counsellors to help students.
The national parent-teacher body has, however, viewed J-FLAG’s offer with much suspicion, noting that the offer appears to be another attempt by J-FLAG to introduce elements of what was uprooted from a Home and Family Life (HFLE) curriculum early last year. The HFLE curriculum was the subject of much controversy after material highlighting homosexuality was discovered in a text book prescribed by the curriculum. Now with the issue of some guidance counselors allegedly refusing to offer counsel to lesbian and gay students igniting much public debate, the NPTAJ said it is rejecting any attempt by J-FLAG to offer counselling in schools.
Hannam argued that, “If JFLAG is serious about counselling, they can offer those services privately.” He also called on the Ministry to reject the offer made by the gay-rights group. “Let the guidance counsellors do their job,” he said.
Source: The Gleaner
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