• A group of 40 parents took part in a dialogue as part of a governmental review on gender equality 
• They said the Ministry of Education’s stance on issues such as gender dysphoria need to be made clear 
• They also said parents are often not aware of what is taught in sexuality education classes
• The easy accessibility of online content such as pornography is an area of concern for them as well

SINGAPORE — When it comes to sensitive topics such as gender and sexuality issues, some parents are hoping to see more open discussions take place between the Ministry of Education (MOE), schools and parents. This is especially on how these topics are handled in a school setting.

This point was raised on Thursday (Feb 4) by a group of 40 parents during a virtual dialogue session hosted by the ministry as part of a governmental review on gender equality in Singapore. 

The topic is fresh off the recent case of a transgender student who alleged that MOE had prevented her from obtaining a doctor’s referral letter to begin hormone replacement therapy. MOE has denied the allegation.

The treatment is recommended for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a condition where a person experiences psychological discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between his or her sex at birth and the gender identity he or she assumes. 

More than 20 national-level conversations have been organised as part of the review, which was launched by the Government in October last year to look into the issues affecting women in Singapore.

The group of parents at Thursday’s session included parent support group leaders, representatives from the MOE advisory body Community and Parents in Support of Schools, and those who work in the public sector. 

The feedback received from the dialogues will culminate in a White Paper that will be delivered in Parliament in the second half of this year.

MAKING POSITION CLEAR

Even though sexuality education is taught from the primary school level, parents present at Thursday’s dialogue said that they are often not aware of the content for these lessons.

They also said that MOE needs to make its stance on gender and sexuality issues clear, especially in relation to how it treats students with gender dysphoria when it comes to the use of bathrooms and the pronouns to address the students.

They naturally mentioned the recent debate sparked by the transgender student who went by the name of just Ashlee. She alleged that her school had threatened to expel her if she did not conform with its rules on the uniform for boys.

Despite the school knowing that Ashlee was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2019, it later took issue with the length of her hair and asked for it to be cut, she told TODAY.

On Jan 14, MOE issued a statement saying that it is “not in a position to interfere with any medical treatment”. 

On Monday, Education Minister Lawrence Wong reiterated the ministry’s stance and said that such medical decisions are beyond the purview of MOE or any educational institution. 

Instead, he said that MOE’s focus is on the school environment and the students involved and that it has a duty of care to every student, regardless of their background and circumstances.

A group of more than 300 teachers, counsellors and social workers have since signed a petition urging MOE to implement a clear policy to support transgender students.

They called on the ministry to prohibit schools from condemning the expressed gender of students and obstructing them from taking steps towards transitioning their gender, among others.

GENDER ROLES AT HOME

The parents at the dialogue session also said that more can be done to regulate the online content within easy reach of the young, especially online pornography, which objectify women and portray them in a negative light.

They are concerned that consuming such content at a young age could affect how they view women in the future.

They admitted that parents can do more as well to be role models, in having an equal share of responsibilities between the genders at home. This may then be an example for children on what a gender-equal society could be.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a “wake-up call” for parents to make the effort to balance their responsibilities in the home setting, they added, given that both are working from home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and they are with the children more often.

Responding to the feedback, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Education who was present at the dialogue, agreed that role models play an important role in encouraging the young to pursue their interests without being held back by their gender.

“We want to encourage our children to be the best that they can be regardless of what their individual strengths are, what their traits are and where their interests lie,” she said.

On the subject of explicit online content, Ms Sun said that MOE acknowledges the potential harms that arise from social media and pornography use and will work with parents to address the challenges presented by it.

“We recognise that we have to ensure that boys and girls in school demonstrate respectful behaviour to each other and that they understand that boundaries ought to be respected,” she said.