Too young to ’get’ gay?

Attempts by a primary school in Kent, England to explain homosexuality to pupils aged five to 11 has enraged parents, who say their wards were left "confused and worried".

Too young to 'get' gay?

Teachers at the school reportedly played a recording of Elton John's Your Song at a school assembly while explaining that the singer is homosexual and what the term means before showing images of same-sex couples.

The parents have complained that they were not consulted in the matter and that the experience has left some pupils afraid to cuddle each other in the playground for fear that other children may think they are gay.

The parents maintain that although the assembly session may have been appropriate for older children, it left the little ones confused and self-conscious about being friends with classmates of the same sex.

They are also incensed that when they complained to the headmaster, who justified it as an attempt to steer the pupils away from homophobic bullying, they were themselves treated as 'homophobic' for even raising the issue.

The assembly also covered topics such as bullying on grounds of race, language and weight.

The headmaster said other parents had approved of the assembly.

"Five-year-olds understand about relationships and about liking people," he said, while a state education officer pointed out that parents have praised the school for its handling of such a sensitive matter.

The officer explained: "Young children are exposed at a very young age to homophobic language.

"If language is not challenged it makes it much more difficult to address homophobic bullying in secondary schools."

The incident reminds one of the burning issue of ragging and bullying in some of our educational institutions back in India.

I for one am not convinced that innocent minds need to be exposed to such education at such an early age, irrespective of its laudable intent.

The premature taking away of childlike innocence, I believe, is utterly unconscionable.

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