Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender & Queer Jamaica: Thwaites: Ministry alone cannot deal with homosexuality

So the Minister had joined the latest drama on homosexuality and the education system, sadly the goodly JAGCE President like JFLAG subsequently have reacquired foot in mouth syndrome. Obviously we know that the MOE cannot deal with such matters but to try to avoid discussion sensible policies directed at openness and such giving the impression of not condoning homosexuality is a little disingenuous to me.

The President was reported to have said in part:

then came JFLAG's response:

We had an incident in 2004 at Dunoon Technical High School where a father inciting a mob to attack his own son and it was averted by forward thinking ancillary staff. Discussions following that with persons such as the late Dr Heather Little-White for example led to tightening the referral systems by school counsellors and reparative therapy etc.

Dr Heather Little White

The Jamaica Observer reported today:

MINISTER of Education Ronald Thwaites has said that the issue of homosexuality among students should not be limited, or addressed solely by the education ministry because the issue is more far reaching.

Thwaites was responding to recent allegations that surfaced in the media regarding the refusal of several guidance counsellors to work with students who are viewed as homosexuals.

“It’s not only the responsibility of the schools and guidance counsellors to do this. The pervasive homophobia in the Jamaican society cannot be dealt with by the education system alone. It must be dealt with [by] persons endowed with the love of God, parents who have responsibilities for their children and know them best, and very respectfully and very trenchantly by the mass media along with all the purveyors of culture,” Thwaites said. He was responding to questions fielded from a group of journalists who had gathered at the HEART Trust/NTA corporate offices in St Andrew for a press conference hosted by the ministry of education to provide an update on the current state of the education ministry, as well as to share projected plans for the 2016/2017 academic year.

Thwaites said that while no student, regardless of sexuality, should be discriminated against, it is important that the matter is addressed so as to prevent further hiccups in moving forward.

“We certainly will be meeting with the Guidance Counsellors Association and ask them to explain if they are having particular problems so that we can marshal the best possible team that we have nationally to so guide them,” Thwaites said.

He said that he, along with key stakeholders in the ministry, had already started making plans to explore best practices with the assistance of professionals to explore and develop strategies to tackle the issue.

“I intend, as a proprietor to that meeting, to ask the various interest groups — such as the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, and we have also been in contact with JFLAG — what they think is the best way that we can encourage our students to adjust and grow themselves, and it should be required as it probably will the continuing of training and best practices,” Thwaites explained.

However, the minister was quick to point out that the education ministry will not be taking any dogmatic position, but rather to encourage the greatest sense of fulfilment and engagement of all people.

“Our task is to set policy, and the policy should be one of principle and compassion towards any issue, and particularly issues to do with human behaviour. This does not mean that the ministry of education is a set of saps. It is quite the contrary. The society has established norms regarding behaviour that we are all expected to follow,” Thwaites said.

ENDS

So if both entities were in touch with their own histories we could have avoided all this and moved on to a possible solutions and clearing the air. The MOE minister's stance is not surprising as how he handled the HFLE Home & Family Life Manual controversy.