Minister guarantees that Sex Education will not disappear from curricula

The Minister of Education assured this Wednesday that content related to Sex Education will not disappear from school curricula, in light of changes to the Citizenship and Development course syllabus.

"It's a subject that's developed across several disciplines, in an interdisciplinary way, and there are specific projects in schools," Fernando Alexandre emphasized, speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting with school principals in Lisbon.

"It would be a huge step backward if sexuality education were removed from schools and student education. And if that were true, the outcry that arose would make sense," the minister stated, responding to the criticism generated by the announced change. Several experts, professors, and political parties accuse the government of caving in to the conservative right and imposing a 40-year setback.

The minister insisted on the need to ensure that teachers who will teach Citizenship and Development have adequate training and, recognizing that teachers will not be able to teach all the required content, suggested that class directors manage to ensure that each topic is taught by teachers with the most appropriate training or even by civil society partners, such as higher education institutions or associations.

“My biggest concern as Minister of Education (…) is how we are going to ensure, in those subjects that we all consider essential for the formation of citizens, that our students will actually be able to acquire these skills,” he added.