Thursday, June 26, 2014
YOUTH and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna says appropriate action will be taken against human rights lobby group Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) and the six children's homes where children were exposed to controversial sexual content.
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| File Photo |
In a release to the media yesterday, following receipt of the Child Development Agency (CDA) report on the controversial sex education programnme, Hanna said she was particularly upset that JFJ did not advise the CDA about the 'Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly' programme — the title given to the JFJ's pilot intervention in children's homes — and that the programme represented possible breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act and the Offences Against The Person Act.
Hanna, meanwhile, questioned why the homes did not advise the CDA about the programme, although they were visited by the agency's monitoring officers.
"A review of the content of the material found that parts of the training material were inappropriate for the age cohort and a departure from that approved by the Ministry of Education for use in public schools. Legal advice will have to be sought to determine if its presentation contravened any existing laws [as] information gleaned from the focus groups sessions in the homes confirmed that the training material was delivered," the minister said.
The offensive material was imparted to children at:
* Alpha Boys' Home;
* St John Bosco;
* Jamaica National Children's Home;
* Sunbeam Children's Home for Boys;
* Elsie Bemand Home for Girls; and
* Best Care Foundation.
"The administrators of the facilities gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs. It was confirmed that the six homes each received a monetary contribution from the JFJ for use of their premises for the training," Hanna said.
Each home received at least $10,000 from JFJ, the CDA's investigation found. more
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