Basic Education disassociates itself from a spurious memorandum concerning sexual orientation
-
Loading... - Olivia Shane
- 06 Jun 2023
- 73 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has distanced itself from a circulating message on social media, which falsely claims that the department encourages and supports students in exploring their sexual orientation. In a statement, the DBE declared the message to be fraudulent and urged the public not to be deceived by its contents.
The circular appears to be aimed at school administrators, principals, and educators, announcing supposed changes that would take effect in 2024. However, the ministry clarified that no such circular has been issued by the department.
Instead, the DBE stated that it has been working on two draft documents: the Protocol for the Elimination of Unfair Discrimination in Schools and Guidelines for the Socio-Educational Inclusion of Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) in Schools. These documents have been developed in collaboration with various organizations, including the South African Council for Educators (SACE), South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), Commission on Gender Equality (CGE), and Equal Education Law Centre (EELC).
Stakeholder consultations on these draft documents are currently being conducted across districts and provinces, as mandated by the Heads of Education Departments Committee (Hedcom) and the Council of Education Ministers (CEM). The DBE is compiling feedback from these consultations and will present them to the CEM for approval.
The need for these documents arises from previous legal actions taken against Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) due to inadequate protection of the human rights of children with diverse sexual and gender identities in schools. As a public service, the DBE aims to ensure that basic education remains compliant with human rights principles.
To date, stakeholder consultations have been carried out in seven provinces, while the remaining provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga are expected to conclude their consultations by the end of June 2023.
It is worth noting that the DBE has been proactive in addressing discrimination issues in education. In 2016, the education minister commissioned a report to investigate racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in learning and teaching support materials (LTSM) and textbooks. The recommendations from this report have been instrumental in guiding schools towards eliminating unfair discrimination.
In conclusion, the DBE emphasizes that the circulating circular on sexual orientation is entirely false. The department is actively engaged in stakeholder consultations and is committed to promoting inclusivity and eliminating discrimination in South African schools.
