Published: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 4:24:00 PM
Updated: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 9:07:26 PM

Education Ministry committed to preventing LGBT phenomenon in schools

GURUN: The Education Ministry views seriously the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) phenomenon and is committed to ensuring that it does not spread to schools and harm the morals of students.

Its deputy minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said various measures had and would be taken, including appointing counsellors in schools to help parents understand the issue and the dangers it posed.

"However, the ministry does not intend to issue set guidelines to curb the LGBT phenomenon although we realise that it is increasingly evident in this country."

He said this after opening a parenting seminar on tackling the LGBT issue, organised by Yayasan Guru Malaysia Berhad and Putrajaya Schools Parent-Teacher Associations Consultative Council, here, on Thursday.

Present was the council chairman Datuk Shahlan Ismail, who is also the prime minister's political secretary.

Mohd Puad said the question of set guidelines did not arise, but many people might have been confused and thought that the ministry was directly involved in fighting the LGBT menace by issuing such guidelines.

"Actually, we want to educate parents and expose them to the LGBT threat but the parents themselves, through the consultative council, expressed their worry over the LGBT phenomenon," he said.

Mohd Puad said the ministry was of the opinion that the LGBT symptoms be honestly exposed to parents and teachers so that the problem involving the young, especially those still schooling, could be checked.

"The time has come for the LGBT issue be discussed openly and not treat it as a taboo subject, just like when we introduced sex education in schools where we undertook various measures including naming the subject health and reproductive education."

Meanwhile, Shahlan said the council had so far organised 11 seminars nationwide on the LGBT issue, to expose parents to the symptoms and the preventive measures as well as the dangers posed by the phenomenon.

"These seminars are not aimed at encouraging the public to get rid of LGBTs as claimed by some quarters, or to use violence against them or to arrest them," he stressed. - Bernama

News

Published: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 4:24:00 PMUpdated: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 9:07:26 PM

Education Ministry committed to preventing LGBT phenomenon in schools

Published: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 4:24:00 PM
Updated: Thursday September 20, 2012 MYT 9:07:26 PM