#LeaveOurKidsAlone: Government needs to respect and honor parents’ rights
The same content parents are sheltering their children from at home is being exposed at schools as a part of the CSE curriculum.
SECUNDA – #LeaveOurKidsAlone Community came together on Thursday, 13 February to march against the new CSE (Comprehensive Sex Education) curriculum that targets grade 4 to 12 learners throughout the country.
The march was organised by Ms Michelle Booyzen, mother of three, who feels that rights as parents are being taken away by the Government, who wants to expose children and youth in South Africa to inappropriate sexual and gender education.
The protesters said their children are still young and innocent; they do their best to shelter their own children from inappropriate content. They watch out for what their children are exposed to on television as well as the internet at home.
Now, the same content that they are sheltering their children from at home is being exposed at schools as a part of the CSE curriculum.
“We live in a democratic nation where every person has equal rights and the freedom to live as we choose. Enshrined in our constitution is the freedom of religion and freedom to raise our children according to our religious and cultural beliefs and values. We are now facing a human rights crisis where the government refuses to give parents certain rights over their children’s upbringing,” said Mr Robert Booyzen, who read out the memorandum.
Issues raised against the CSE are that it teaches principles that are in opposition to most religious and cultural beliefs in South Africa. It sexualises children by exposing them to sexual content.
The innocence of children is taken away and teaches children that gender is fluid. Paving the way for a generation that has negative connotations towards relationships and who end up more confused about their sexuality than ever before.
“We want the government to stay out of our lives and leave parenting up to parents. Completely remove all forms of CSE from the school curriculum and leave the teaching of sexuality up to parents and community organisations. “We also want government to remove the curriculum that has been a part of our schools since 2000s,” said Mr Booyzen.
He also said the government needs to stop the new SLPs in their tracks and eradicate it from all the pilot schools.
These parents want the government to reinstate parents’ rights as to how and when to educate their children on sexuality based on morals and values, without the school system teaching opposing beliefs and values, and that government needs to respect and honor religious and cultural freedom and individuality.
The marchers walked from the Parkrun parking area in PDP Kruger Street (across the road from Westpack and Builders) towards the crossing of Oliver Tambo Drive. At the turning point, Priest Gerhard Wilkins, of the Old Apostolic Church in Secunda, said a prayer where after the marchers made their way back towards the start.
Marchers were accompanied by Secunda SAPS and the GMM Traffic Department. Govan Mbeki Municipality gave approval for the march to take place.
