Aontu TD Peadar Tóibín will be the main speaker at a public meeting tomorrow, August 29 at 8pm in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny.
He will be addressing the concerns of parents in Donegal regarding the new school curriculum for Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE).
The Aontú party leader has already voiced his opposition to the proposed SPHE curriculum in the Dáil suggesting that the content of SPHE for young students was “misleading and unscientific”.
The Meath West TD said it would be a massive mistake to go down the route of uniformity with regard to ethos in sex education.
“Parents should be able to raise their children within their own values and ethos. Instead they are being forced to accept one mandatory value system by the government,” he said.
Donegal Aontu representative, Mary T. Sweeney said this is a very emotive subject for many parents and there are grave concerns if parents opt to take their children out of these classes that it will be potentially exclusionary for tens of thousands of children.
“I fervently believe in equality and I remember the dark days of the not too distant past where some gay people were bullied mercilessly.
“However, I also believe we’re heading into hazardous murky waters on this issue of the rampant sexualisation of our children.
“We’re told teachers can no longer use the term ‘mother’ or ‘father’ in the classroom and most children themselves will say this is hare-brained.
“It’s become a case of the emperor’s new clothes and nobody will call it out for what it is.
“Parents need to have their voices heard and listened to.
“If they are concerned with parts of the curriculum, they should be allowed to speak their minds.
“Sadly children are being sexualised from a younger age,” she said.
Ms Sweeney also suggested that not all minorities are treated with equal compassion.
“The (LGBTQ+) is very much centre-stage at the moment and this seems to be the main focus of our government.
“However, I believe there are more urgent matters facing young people of today concerning their future which this government should prioritise,” she said.
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