PRESS RELEASE: COALITION OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL LEADERS CALL FOR URGENT MEETING WITH DBE

COALITION OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL LEADERS CALL FOR URGENT MEETING TO STOP PRE-PRIMARY INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN AND SUBVERSION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS

A major potential source of conflict had developed between the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and a Coalition of religious, cultural, educational, spirituality, and traditional associations, representing over 20 million members of diverse communities. This follows the discovery that the DBE has developed and implemented a Gender-Responsive Pedagogy for Early Childhood Education Toolkit (ECE Toolkit). The ECE Toolkit trains ECD practitioners and pre-primary and primary school educators to promote transgender ideology to young children (ages 0 to 9 years). The programme was financed by a R40 million grant from VVOB, a Belgian organisation, and developed in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch.

Following two meetings, and despite the deep concerns expressed by the Coalition, the DBE doubled down on its determination to roll out and implement this highly controversial teacher training in all provinces. In a written response, the DBE claimed it has the power to limit parental rights and to supplement, with “constitutional principles”, the values and beliefs that parents are teaching their children. The Department denied that it is subverting parental rights, and defended its failure to facilitate any meaningful public participation.

With the general elections over, the Coalition has again written to the DBE and the new Minister of Basic Education, to emphasise the legal, cultural, and religious basis for its ongoing concerns. It pointed out that the DBE fails to understand that the ECE Toolkit will directly impact a child’s education by imposing a single ideological worldview, based upon radical, deeply controversial, scientifically unproven, and medically contentious views on sex and gender. In so doing, it effectively excludes and marginalises – even delegitimises – the beliefs and values of certain (perhaps the vast majority of) parents and children. It therefore amounts to a form of state-sanctioned indoctrination of children, which is unacceptable in and of itself, in addition to being potentially very harmful to children.

The Coalition’s response also refutes the DBE’s rationale for implementing the ECE Toolkit.  The Department claims that this training is a central component of the strategy to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and to prevent bullying. The Coalition argues that it is counter-intuitive to deliberately blur the lines between the sexes. Teaching small children that you cannot readily distinguish a man from a woman (or vice versa) and that gender is an individual and personal choice is certain to cause them deep and abiding confusion. The entire basis for protecting and respecting the physical, emotional and psychological integrity of women is thereby undermined, so their strategy will be counter-productive.. It is equally disingenuous to conflate parents teaching their children traditional views on sex and gender with the implication that, in so doing, they are encouraging their children to become bullies.

The religious and spiritual leaders of the Coalition are unanimous in their position that no child should suffer unfair discrimination, violence, bullying or hatred. They are equally committed to the eradication of the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).  However, they are adamant that the DBE had exceeded its mandate and overridden the constitutional and legal rights of parents. In doing so, it has failed to abide by its own 1995 White Paper on Education and Training, which recognises parents’ “right to be consulted by the state authorities” and their “inalienable right to choose the form of education, which is best for their children, particularly in the early years of schooling”, and which includes the religious and cultural basis of that education.

Ultimately, this damages the family unit – i.e. the relationship between children and parents – which cannot be in the best interest of children. Parents are best placed to know what is in their children’s best interests and to uphold it.

Since this matter first came to public attention, 35,000 people have written to the DBE to object to the lack of public engagement and the Department’s unilateral decision to promote the teaching of transgender ideology to small children.

The Coalition is now calling for an urgent meeting with the new Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, to review this matter. They are asking for:

 an immediate moratorium on using the ECE Toolkit for teacher training until it has been opened for meaningful public engagement, particularly by parents and school governing body (SGB) associations. Subsequently, any materials developed will need to be age-appropriate and have the general buy-in of the community.

 the establishment of a Family Values Unit within the DBE to ensure that respect for parental rights, children's rights, true diversity, inclusivity, and equity are properly considered and integrated by the DBE when developing similar toolkits, guidelines and protocols for application in public schools and ECD centres.

 transparency regarding the mandate, funding (and related conditions of funding) of the Directorate: Social Inclusion and Equity in Education unit, that  has already been established within the DBE and is driving the roll-out and implementation of the ECE Toolkit teacher training programme.

 The identity of the key external partners of this Unit, and its accountability mechanisms.

ENDS

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