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| FEATURE |
Gay Teachings In Sydney
Childcare Center
Childcare Center
By Jennifer Medvin
The Tillman Park Childcare Center in Sydney,
Australia has been under intense scrutiny lately
due to their open policy on reading gay and
lesbian stories to their preschoolers.
The readings come from the Learn To Include
series of books that involve stories of gay and
lesbian people and their families. The four books
are narrated by a young girl with two mothers.
Family groups rebuked the teachings and
demanded that Mal Brough, Federal Family and
Community Services Minister, cut taxpayer
subsidies to the center. Mr. Brough told The Daily
Telegraph, "At that age children should be finger-
painting and having fun, not learning about social
behavior which many parents regard as way
beyond their years.” He went on to call the anti-
discriminatory curriculum “ridiculous.”
The stories were written by Brenna and Vicki
Harding, an Australian elementary school student
and her lesbian mother, who were unable to find
any other books featuring same-sex families.
There are four titles in this series of books, which
include Koalas on Parade, My House, Going to
Fair Day and The Rainbow Cubby House.
Alan Bligh, Minister for Education and Minister for
the Arts in Queensland, Australia, is quoted on
the Learn To Include website as saying, "The
capacity of schools to understand and respond to
the diversity of students is essential to ensure
that young people are in a safe and supportive
learning environment. These resources will
undoubtedly assist schools and I have requested
the Department to include them in the Corporate
Library where they will be accessible to all
teachers."
Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby spokesman David
Scammel said “It is important to point out that this
is not about sex education, it's about teaching
children really basic life skills about acceptance
and understanding and valuing diversity.”
Mr. Scammel stated that the suburb where the
childcare center is located has a high percentage
of gay and lesbian families. "Anyone who read the
books in question would realize that they are very
much like any other childhood book that's been
taught, the only difference is that they have same-
sex families.”
The Learn to Include series can be found in the
United States distributed by Two Lives Publishing
at www.twolives.com. P&A
Australia has been under intense scrutiny lately
due to their open policy on reading gay and
lesbian stories to their preschoolers.
The readings come from the Learn To Include
series of books that involve stories of gay and
lesbian people and their families. The four books
are narrated by a young girl with two mothers.
Family groups rebuked the teachings and
demanded that Mal Brough, Federal Family and
Community Services Minister, cut taxpayer
subsidies to the center. Mr. Brough told The Daily
Telegraph, "At that age children should be finger-
painting and having fun, not learning about social
behavior which many parents regard as way
beyond their years.” He went on to call the anti-
discriminatory curriculum “ridiculous.”
The stories were written by Brenna and Vicki
Harding, an Australian elementary school student
and her lesbian mother, who were unable to find
any other books featuring same-sex families.
There are four titles in this series of books, which
include Koalas on Parade, My House, Going to
Fair Day and The Rainbow Cubby House.
Alan Bligh, Minister for Education and Minister for
the Arts in Queensland, Australia, is quoted on
the Learn To Include website as saying, "The
capacity of schools to understand and respond to
the diversity of students is essential to ensure
that young people are in a safe and supportive
learning environment. These resources will
undoubtedly assist schools and I have requested
the Department to include them in the Corporate
Library where they will be accessible to all
teachers."
Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby spokesman David
Scammel said “It is important to point out that this
is not about sex education, it's about teaching
children really basic life skills about acceptance
and understanding and valuing diversity.”
Mr. Scammel stated that the suburb where the
childcare center is located has a high percentage
of gay and lesbian families. "Anyone who read the
books in question would realize that they are very
much like any other childhood book that's been
taught, the only difference is that they have same-
sex families.”
The Learn to Include series can be found in the
United States distributed by Two Lives Publishing
at www.twolives.com. P&A
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