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Argentine Government's Mandatory Sexual Education Program Raises Concern among Family Advocates

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

BUENOS AIRES, June 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Argentine Federal Education Council, which has authority over the nation's schools, has voted to impose a sex-ed program nationwide on all schools, public and private, at every grade level.

Although the contents of the program have not been revealed, it is mandated by laws that promote contraception and "sexual and reproductive health", a euphemism used by the pro-abortion movement, and thus is raising the suspicions of pro-family advocates. 

The Council, which consists of 24 members from across the country, has reportedly decided that the topics taught will include "respect for diversity" and "discrimination", terms used by the homosexual movement to identify homosexuals as an oppressed minority in need of legal protection. However, there is no indication that homosexuality is mentioned explicitly by the program.

The program was designed in accordance with the National Program of Integral Sexual Education (26.150), passed in 2006 under the regime of Nestor Kirchner.  The law contains vague language about "responsible attitudes towards sexuality" and "sexual and reproductive health", and "integral sexual education," terms that are associated with the pro-abortion and anti-family movement.  However, it does not mention abstinence.

The Program incorporates another, broader law (26.673) that states that "it has been demonstrated statistically that, among others, at the most vulnerable levels of the society, certain groups of women and men are ignorant of how to use the most effective and appropriate contraceptive methods" and concludes that "in consequence, it is necessary to offer the whole population access to: information and advice regarding sexuality and the use of contraceptive methods."

The National Program of Sexual Education also declares that "integral sexual education" is a "right" of all students, language that could be used to override the wishes of parents.

ACI Prensa reports that Senator Lilian Negre de Alonso is warning that the Council's new policy "violates fundamental parental rights" in the words of the agency.

The program, says Negre de Alonso, violates "the constitutional right of the parents to participate in the education of their children in conformity with their intimate principles and convictions, violating the privacy of the family and along with it the guarantees conferred by the National Constitution and international conventions."

The program becomes obligatory in 2009.

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