Outrage over teacher`s gay sex survey

A school course prompting 14-year-olds to question whether they are homosexual has caused an outcry at Wodonga High School. The course includes a questionnaire, entitled "Attitudes about homosexuality", requiring students to respond to questions such as, "If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good lesbian/gay lover?". Other questions include, "How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive and exclusive heterosexual behaviour?" and, "Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?". Year 9 students in a compulsory health class were asked to discuss how the questions, modelled on stereotypes faced by homosexuals, made them feel. Senior Pastor Warren McMartin from Wodonga Faith City said it had been brought to his attention by a local parent whose daughter had complained about the content of the questionnaire. "We have got parents jumping up and down all over the place," Mr McMartin said. "I had never seen anything like it." Mr McMartin has convened a meeting of parents to take their concerns to the principal. Mr McMartin said many parents felt the questionnaire was inappropriate for 14 and 15-year-olds. "It was apparently handed out by a fill-in teacher, so we will be going to the principal to ask whether this was the teacher`s decision, or an approved part of the course," Mr McMartin said. He agreed with parents who thought the questions were too strong for teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality. "I can see what they are doing, they are trying to make a heterosexual person understand what a homosexual person is feeling, which is fair enough, I suppose, but to put the questionnaire at the back took it to another level," he said. "They want to know what a child`s feelings were sexually, and that aspect of it I thought was intolerable." Mr McMartin said students had to put their names on the questionnaires, which raised issues of privacy around who would have access to the information. Wodonga High principal Peter Maclean said he was unaware of any complaints about the course work. He said the Year 9 health unit was compulsory and the curriculum was in accordance with the Curriculum Standard Framework. "It is not unusual for students to discuss issues relating to puberty and sexuality," he said. Mr Maclean said he would welcome a meeting with parents to address any of their concerns. "We encourage communication with parents and would have no hesitation setting up a meeting to discuss why it was done," he said.