Response to Education Ministry’s decision to drop AWARE as a vendor for sexuality education programmes
It is regrettable that the Ministry has seen a need to make this move. However, we recognise that the ministry has been under considerable pressure from some parents on the matter and we can understand why it has taken this action.
AWARE still believes our Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme is a much needed resource for youths. It was drawn up by professionals and, during the two years it was run in schools, there was no negative feedback. During the furore of recent weeks, many parents made a point of saying they would be keen for their children to benefit from the objective and frank approach AWARE’s programme takes to sexuality. We will continue with our review of the programme, and this will be done in consultation with parents, teachers, counsellors and other relevant parties. At the appropriate time we may offer it again to the Education Ministry.
The CSE programme, however, is just one of AWARE’s activities. It has been given disproportionate publicity in recent weeks. It is unfortunate if there are now people in Singapore who associate AWARE only with sex education.
AWARE has three areas of activity – research and advocacy, direct services, and public education. The first, research and advocacy, has been AWARE’s hallmark from the start. The work goes on with the CEDAW shadow report, and research into issues such as sexual harassment at work, work life balance, the challenges faced by singles in Singapore, and the trafficking of women and children.
The AWARE helpline, along with our counselling service and the Legal Clinic, continues to be invaluable to women in distress. With our newly expanded membership, we have many new members who are offering to help in these areas and we hope to improve and expand these services in the course of this year.
We also plan to step up our efforts in public education, including reviving the talks and forums that we used to hold in the early years at public libraries and other community locations. The EGM on 2 May showed very clearly that the women of Singapore have strong views on many matters and that they want to stand up and speak out. AWARE will organise forums and other opportunities for them to do so. We will make greater use of new media to reach out to members and to create channels for them to express their views and to network with each other.
Dana Lam,
President
Thank you Aware for making this statement. Hopefully, it will give better clarity for people who just view AWARE through coloured lenses.
I hope to see that you engage the public more through the programs that you have outlined.
best regards,
Mohd Hisham
I applaud AWARE for displaying honesty and integrity for standing behind its programs when faced with unreasonable opposition.
Hello Dana,
Your instant reflexs on MOE about CSE case has shown your quality of leardership in the present AWARE. It was indeed a very cool calm clear & wise descisive response. It is like “a mirror” of “wisdom with compassion”.
In life, I believe every moment is a fresh moment. AWARE has opened up a fresh & new chatper for younger generation in Singapore! Keep up your excellent tasks with mindful smile & cheers to all your exco team!
With best regard & blessing always,
David
Dana, do you know that on several news sites mentioning the suspension of AWARE’s CSE program, the people that supported Dr. Thio and Josie Lau are now railing over abortion and even gender equality. Taken from http://wayangparty.com/?p=9648&cpage=1#comment-15264
‘well said, women should know their place in Christianity and heed their husbands’ advices. women who do not follow their husbands are easier to commit adultery, gamble, smoke, abort children, neglect the child, abuse the child, commit lesbianism, skip prayer sessions and not do housework.
being created later, women are weaker of 2 sexes. so not to be a burden to the society, women must be subordinate to the husband. feminism stinks of atheism, totally forgetting it was eve’s fault that Man got kicked out of the Garden of Eden by God.’
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I never expect AWARE to lobby for or accomodate homosexual rights, but I believe it must receive continued support against people such as these. It proves that for these people, its a case of ‘you give an inch, and they take a foot’. And that homosexuality was never the issue…the issue was one of keeping church and secular state separate. It pains me that as a Christian myself, I must stand against my fellows, and that I cannot be in Singapore to volunteer with AWARE and lend my strength in this hard time.