In recent years, sexual health education courses have been facing a sling of certain parents, supported by part of the right, judging that they would have become “ideological”. For the authorities, these courses are essential to prevent sexual abuse and violence, reduce unwanted pregnancies or even talk about cyberbullying. Geneva is also thinking of starting teaching from 3P.
It is the start of the school year in several French -speaking cantons. Some children will perhaps be attending for the first time sex education lessons, a teaching that causes resistance to some parents.
“The primary mission of sexual health education returns to families. But school courses allow you to upgrade certain messages that seem fundamental,” said the sexual health specialist at generations Sexualities Neuchâtel Mònica Mota on Sunday in the RTS show.
“The earlier we start talking about the body and emotions, the more the child understands that he has the right to be informed, to have questions and answers on the subject,” added the specialist. “He will also probably realize faster if something is not adequate.” These courses are therefore essential to protect children from abuse.
But for two years, a new anger has been scolding in French -speaking Switzerland. A parents’ front is alarmed and finds relays with part of the political right. They see in education for sexual health an ideological drift.
Tension climate with certain parents
Largely in the minority, these critical voices propagate in most cantons. In Courtepin, in the canton of Friborg, it is now the ball in the belly that Alexandra Chavannaz, specialist at the Friborg Center in Sexual Health, apprehends information evenings to parents. “There were a little more eventful evenings, where there were parents who had more requests, who were more critical,” she testifies.
Preventing abuses, reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancies, fight against sexual violence, talk about romantic relationships: these information evenings to parents make it possible to recall the importance of sexual health lessons, while fighting disinformation.
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But despite these good intentions, in the canton of Friborg, certain sessions were particularly virulent. Last year, the tension climate was such that specialists were still involved in two. “There were threats and there was also a situation where a police officer came to the door in case there was an overflow,” recalls Alexandra Chavannaz.
Collective Parents Swiss involved
In French -speaking Switzerland, it was from the start of the 2023 school year that the first disputes appeared. At the heart of this movement, the Swiss Parents collective. At the beginning of 2024, he filed a petition provided with 23,000 signatures to the great Geneva council, which denounces ideological content and refuses that “stakeholders in sex education establish doubt in the minds of children on their sexual identity”. [lire aussi l’encadré].
Solicited by the program developed, this collective did not wish to express themselves in front of the camera. He prefers to devote himself to his actions.
“No proselytism”
On the side of the Geneva authorities, we defend ourselves from all proselytism. Sexual health education courses are based on “information that is robust, which is scientifically proven”, defends Pascal Freydier, director of the child and youth health service of the canton of Geneva.
“There is no proselytism. At the level of the orientation cycle, we enter a little more into sexual health proper, which puts on different dimensions. This is where questions can appear on the question of gender. And in this case, we answer,” he explains.
A course from 3P in Geneva?
At the heart of the program, recalls Pascal Freydier: learn to respect yourself and respect others. “One of the objectives of this course is also to strengthen the skills of students on sexual health and emotional life, so that they become citizens with a developed critical spirit, so that they do not come across false information, so that they can ultimately live their sexuality in a positive way,” he concludes.
“I am convinced that it is necessary to start as quickly as possible, because these courses are important,” abounds in Development the Geneva State Councilor Anne Hiltpold. “We are not teaching children to have sex. We are really there to work on the body, intimacy, and for me, it’s fundamental. We are working to have a course that starts in 3p,” she said.
>> Also listen to the intervention of Anne Hiltpold, State Councilor in charge of the Department of Public Instruction, Training and Youth in Geneva, in Development ::
Development, Noémie Guignard
Adaptation Web: Julien Furrer
