“I am very sorry that the program is being tried to be made into such a straw scarecrow that some politicians will probably use in the election campaign. As a result, children will be affected, for whom the issue of emotional intelligence and emotional education is extremely important,” the prime minister told Žinių radio on Thursday.
“I am sorry that someone who has taken one sub-topic out of very important topics – first aid, the use of psychotropic substances, bullying and so on, can or cannot, wants to compromise the program as allegedly inappropriate,” she said.
The Parents’ Forum accuses the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports that LGBT propaganda will be spread during classes, and is outraged that children will be taught about contraception instead of abstaining from sexual intercourse.
Lawyer Ignas Vēgėlė stated in the TV show “Dēmesio centru” that children will be taught, among other things, “how to make that contraceptive for oral sex” in these classes.
The presidency states that school general education programs “must not become an object of politicization”, and if the content of the education program raises doubts, it should be evaluated and corrected by specialists in the relevant field, including the education and parent communities in this process.
According to her, the prerequisites for the quality of any educational program are teachers adequately prepared for the implementation of educational programs.
At that time, according to I. Šimonytė, with such statements, “the president is more trying to influence certain opinions in his potential electorate”, because no new program is ideally prepared.
“Right now, you can bury your head in the sand and wait for ideal, perfect teachers to appear, but the program is neither rigid nor static, nor are teachers supposed to teach those lessons. There is an opportunity to use partners, for example, police officers who would come to tell, representatives of non-governmental organizations,” said the Prime Minister.
According to I.Šimonytė, this program “didn’t fall from the sky”, it was prepared for several years, discussions were held. According to the Prime Minister, public opinion is currently being manipulated by removing issues related to sexuality from the program. I.Šimonytė emphasizes that this is not a sexuality education program, it contains many life topics.
“Let’s not distance ourselves from the problems that we still have pregnant teenagers and situations that clearly show that it is also necessary to educate children and prepare them for life on this topic. The main goal of this program is not the development of sexuality, but the development of emotional intelligence and an effort to solve the problems that children face in school and in life, growing up – and bullying, the use of psychotropic substances, there is a lot of talk about drugs, how vulnerable children are to this offer”, he said. prime minister
As BNS informed ŠMSM, the life skills lesson is new, but its content includes relevant topics taught to students in schools, such as social-emotional education, prevention of the use of psychoactive substances, prevention of bullying and violence, suicide prevention, sexuality education, health education, first assistance, human safety, the implementation of which in schools lacked consistency and time.
According to the topics presented in the program for specific classes, teachers can independently arrange the content of the lessons.
The program is not fully implemented: in grades 1-4 it is taught in an integrated manner, in grades 5 and 7 there is one weekly lesson, and in grade 9 – one lesson every other week.
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#Šimonytė #compromise #life #skills #program #elections
**Interview with Prime Minister I. Šimonytė on Emotional Education and Recent Controversies in School Programs**
**Interviewer:** Good morning, Prime Minister Šimonytė. Thank you for joining us today. Recently, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the new educational program, particularly around topics of emotional intelligence and sexual education. Can you share your thoughts on the attempts to politicize this program?
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** Good morning, and thank you for having me. I think it’s unfortunate that some politicians seem to be using this vital issue as a straw man in their electoral campaigns. Emotional intelligence and emotional education are crucial for our children, and politicizing these subjects ultimately undermines their importance.
**Interviewer:** The Parents’ Forum has raised concerns about what they call “LGBT propaganda” and the teaching of contraception. How do you respond to these accusations?
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** The claims about spreading propaganda are, quite frankly, an oversimplification of a much larger conversation. This program addresses various essential topics, such as first aid and bullying, and reducing it to a singular narrative is misleading. Education on these subjects is intended to prepare children for real-life situations, not to promote any specific agenda.
**Interviewer:** Lawyer Ignas Vēgėlė mentioned in a recent TV show that children might be taught how to make contraceptives for oral sex. How do you address the concerns surrounding this content?
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** Let me clarify that the program is not solely focused on sexuality education, but rather encompasses a wide range of life skills. It’s about equipping our students with the knowledge they need to navigate various situations they may encounter. If there are specific contentions regarding material, those should certainly be evaluated by educational specialists and involve input from the community.
**Interviewer:** The presidency has emphasized that educational content should not be politicized. Do you believe the current discourse is detrimental to the program’s implementation?
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** Absolutely. The integrity of education must be upheld, and the program should be evaluated based on expert input rather than political posturing. While no program is perfect from the start, extensive discussions and preparations went into developing this curriculum. We need to focus on improving it collaboratively rather than using it as a political football.
**Interviewer:** what is the main goal of this educational program in relation to issues like teenage pregnancy and sexual education?
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** The overarching goal is to prepare our children for the realities of life, including the challenges that come with it, such as teenage pregnancy. We can’t just wish these problems away; instead, we need to educate our youth effectively on these topics to help them make informed decisions. The program is not about promoting certain behaviors, but rather about holistic education that addresses the complexities of life.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Prime Minister Šimonytė, for sharing your insights on this critical issue.
**Prime Minister I. Šimonytė:** Thank you for having me. It’s important we keep these discussions focused on our children’s well-being.
