The institutionalization of sexual education is led to the Plenary

The Human Rights Committee concluded on Monday the article-by-article debate on the law proposal of the MP of the Environmentalists Movement - Citizens' Cooperation Charalambos Theopeptou regarding sex education in schools.

The law proposal is expected to be brought to the Plenary Assembly within 15 days, in order to institutionalize education regarding sex education from kindergarten to high school, starting from the next school year.

Speaking after the conclusion of the debate, the President of the Committee, AKEL Member of Parliament Irini Charalambidou spoke about the conclusion of the debate on an extremely important law proposal, which was tabled in 2018. The issue of sex education, she said, has concerned many of the MPs. in the last ten years, without serious and substantial steps being taken.

He added that the institutionalization of sex education is of utmost importance in order to protect children.

He spoke of excellent cooperation with the parties involved, the representatives of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health as well as the Legal Service, expressing the hope that the proposal will be passed unanimously by the parties in the Plenary.

Ms. Charalambidou also stated that she did everything she could as soon as she took over the Committee to bring the proposal to the Plenary with rapid procedures.

In turn, the proposer of the proposal, Member of Parliament of the Environmental Movement - Citizens' Cooperation Charalambos Theopeptou, thanked Ms. Charalambidou and the members of the Committee for the cooperation and especially to the Member of Parliament of the DISY Fotini Tsiridou who helped to make improvements to the text and to take into account the opinions of the guests.

We have reached, as he said, the end of a very difficult process and now all that remains is the vote in the Plenary.

He expressed complete satisfaction with the changes made and said that the law includes many provisions that were entered after much discussion, in the hope of helping students get the right knowledge and information on the subject.

At the same time, he said that he still has one concern, since the law does not provide for mandatory teaching of sexual education in Universities and Colleges, in order to avoid various difficult situations that occur in these places, such as unwanted pregnancies.

He added that abroad there is this information in universities, while there are other things that can be implemented in Cyprus as well, such as placing condom vending machines in the toilets of universities and colleges or even nightclubs. He asked the state to help install these machines.

In relation to the Universities, he said that relevant material will be prepared by the Ministry of Education that will be available to the Universities and Colleges, if they wish to take advantage of it, while he himself sent, as he mentioned, relevant letters to all the rectors of the universities in Cyprus, to offer the sex education course during the first week of the academic year.

He clarified that sexual education will be done by law and after a decision by the Ministry of Education, based on scientific studies and the international recommendations and conventions signed by the Republic of Cyprus, and there is no question of exemption from the course. He added that this course will also provide information on sexual abuse, which Cyprus has been obliged to do for years due to another legislation passed in 2014.

Regarding the issue of termination of unwanted pregnancy, he said that this part has been removed from this law and he will bring another text on the matter taking into account what is now in relation to GeSY.

Source: KYPE