The Swedish Agency for Education responded to our op-ed in The Epoch Times. [1] Here we republish our response, which was also published in The Epoch Times, where we point out that the Agency for Education in its reply ignores the influence of organizations such as RFSU.
In a reply to our article, the Agency for Education emphasises (just as we do) how important it is to have a debate on the sexualisation of children and to start from the correct facts. [2]
The Agency for Education seems to accept our description of what happens in school, but they take issue with us on two points. There is nothing about sexuality in the curriculum for preschool, they say, and secondly they deny that it is the EU and WHO that have influenced them to change sex education and to start it earlier. [3]
But it is the Swedish Agency for Education that is not sticking to the facts. For example, they do refer to WHO material and standards several times in various texts on the website. In support material for special needs schools, they refer to WHO sources as many as ten times. [4]
Around Europe and in the rest of the world, there are local initiatives that, like us, want to prevent the sexualisation of children by the authorities. But we don’t have to go abroad to see the influence of WHO standards on authorities and schools. Our school curricula and resource materials are increasingly aligned with the WHO standards. They can even be found, under the heading Children’s sexuality, in the National Handbook in Child Health. [5]
We don’t have to go abroad to see the influence of the WHO standards on governments.
“UNESCO’s and UNAIDS’ Technical Guidelines on Sexuality Education (2009) and WHO Europe’s Standards for Sexuality Education (2010) provide suggestions on what the teaching can contain and identify what a comprehensive or holistic sexuality education can be. The Swedish curricula also have a clear perspective of this kind.” [6]
The Agency for Education gives the impression that it is only the curriculum itself that affects teaching in pre- and compulsory school. But the curricula are vague about the content of sex education. As a result, external organisations and materials have had influence and the variations have been considerable. In 2022, the curriculum content was slightly clarified. Pornography should be included in the teaching and sexuality should permeate activities as early as preschool. [7]
Swedish parents of young children contact us with concern when the subjects of sexuality, consent and relationships are raised by preschool educators which may happen due to the influence that RFSU, which is a lobby organization for the WHO standard, has through its visits to preschools and its training for educators.
All this is being done without parents being asked. Where did the important debate that the Agency for Education wants go?
We continue to urge the Agency for Education to distance itself from the WHO’s standard for sex education and ensure that sexualisation of children stops immediately.
Martin Lantz, Aida Reva, Maria Gontevas, Jesper Kekki, Lorena König, Marianne Liljeholt, Tina L Hedenquist
Sources
- Stop the Swedish Agency for Education ‘s sexualisation of schoolchildren, Epoch Times, Martin Lantz, Aida Reva, Maria Gontevas, Jesper Kekki, Lorena König, Marianne Liljeholt, Tina L Hedenquist for Vi tillsammans, https://www.epochtimes.se/Stoppa-Skolverkets-sexualisering-av-skolbarn
- Citizens’ initiative spreads inaccuracies about Swedish curricula, Epoch Times, Roger Persson – Acting Head of Unit at the Swedish Agency for Education, https://www.epochtimes.se/Medborgarinitiativ-sprider-felaktigheter-om-svenska-laroplaner
- Reply: It is the Swedish Agency for Education that is not sticking to the facts, Epoch Times, Martin Lantz, Aida Reva, Maria Gontevas, Jesper Kekki, Lorena König, Marianne Liljeholt, Tina L Hedenquist for Vi tillsammans, https://www.epochtimes.se/Replik-Det-ar-Skolverket-som-inte-haller-sig-till-fakta
- Sex and relationship education in special-needs compulsory and upper secondary schools, Swedish Agency for Education , 2021, https://web.archive.org/web/20211204160401/https://www.skolverket.se/getFile?file=7810
- Children’s sexuality – The National Handbook in Child Health, https://www.rikshandboken-bhv.se/tillvaxt–utveckling/barns-sexualitet/
- From population issues to SRHR—Sweden’s global engagement in sexual and reproductive health and rights, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2013, https://cdn.openaid.se/app/uploads/2021/03/08160448/Fran-befolkningsfragor-till-SRHR-Sveriges-globala-engagemang-i-sexuell-och-reproduktiv-halsa-och-rattigheter.pdf
- Curriculum for compulsory school and for preschool class and after-school activities, Swedish Agency for Education , 2022, https://www.skolverket.se/undervisning/grundskolan/laroplan-och-kursplaner-for-grundskolan/laroplan-lgr22-for-grundskolan-samt-for-forskoleklassen-och-fritidshemmet
