That's a pretty stupid way to introduce kids to things. Fairy tales have hardly had very relevant messages in the past, so in a few years this kid is going to have some very mixed messages coming from the fairy tales he knows.

It's not like it would do any harm. It won't do any good either, as I'm pretty sure a kindergarten student won't understand anything about homosexuality.

Why don't you explain it to your son?

Why? He's going to learn about it one way or another eventually. If you really want what's best for your son, make sure you take the time to explain your views in addition to the ones he gets in school. As to mitchie's assertion that fairy tales don't teach anything: you need to learn a whole lot more about fairy tales before you say that. Like what the original fairy tales actually are (most of them have been messed up by parents afraid of scaring their kids) as well as the context in which they were told. They're VERY educational.

No.

Isn't that a little young for sex education?

That is too young to be "teaching" anything of the kind...even heterosexuality. Why can't 'sociologues' stick to adult problems and let children be children for at least the few years they have? Good grief, Charlie Brown! What the hell is their agenda, anyway? I think you have a few young sillikens coming out of college with an "I am going to 'modernise' and change the whole society" attitude. I don't know about the UK, but here, local school boards and the local PTA greatly determine the agendas of local schools. The state only determines the basic requirements of education and whether they are being met or not.

In first instance, if you have concerns write to or arrange to speak to the headmaster/teacher at the school to explain your concerns. It will also give them the opportunity to you to explain why they think it is a good idea. Speak to some of the other parents/carers and suggest they do the same if there is a lot of concern. I do not think it is a good idea to take a child out of school for these type of reasons. It would be hurting your child more. It sends a very bad signal to your child. If we all went on strike for every little change that our employers wanted to bring it that would make all strike action look rediculous.

Yes, you should- provided you are willing either to explain about homosexuality yourself, or to let him remain ignorant. Why do you ask?

The decision to teach children any subject is taken after due consideration of all aspects by well experienced educationists. The topics to teach and the medium through which the education is imparted is selected after very careful study by people highly qualified in education. Therefore I would advice you to keep the child in the school and let him learn all he can through whatever medium they have decided on. Our own prejudices will not help the best efforts of the educationists. They know what they are doing.

I would not

I think it is the wrong age to broach the subject unless they ask. Let their natural curiosity guide the decision to discuss certain subjects. Generally I am against the public school systems involving themselves in civic lessons that should be coming from the home. That said I wouldn't haul them out of school. I might have a heated discussion with the head of the school though. And just so there is no doubt about my feelings on the subject, homosexuality is a fact of life. I am not against it nor am I for it. It just is. I feel people have no control over which way they lean. But the school is placing itself in direct opposition of religious takes on this issue and I think it is just too young to embroil a 5 year old into that type of situation. Unless they ask a question. Then be honest.

I would not take them out of school. I don't think those fairy tales are promoting homosexuality, they are just telling that it exists. Maybe you could better inform yourself about this program if you have some fears. I joined some information in my answer. 1) "The paragraph in question is Section 28, an amendment to the Local Government Act of 1988 that prohibited schools and local authorities from "promoting homosexuality" or its acceptability as "pretended family relationship". The paragraph was published in response to a school publication called "Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin" which sparked an angry debate when it came out twenty years ago. But times have changed and the liberal Blair government has been much more tolerant towards homosexuality than its predecessors. Section 28 was repealed in 2003 and homosexual marriage was legalized in 2005. No Outsiders is the first large-scale attempt to put sexually tolerant books back on the reading list for children -- but maybe it's their parents who need some extra coaching when it comes to tolerance." Source and further information: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,471424,00.html 2) "These books wouldnt just be about gay men there would also be about gay woman too. I dont think the books would be saying "Its great to be gay so be gay or else!" Its more like that they would say sometimes men love woman and sometimes men love men. Just saying its ok and nothing strange and you shouldnt be afraid about it." Source and further information: http://www.thegtaplace.com/forums/index.php?act=Print&client=html&f=65&t=10294 3) "Desmond Tutu’s insistence that there are no ‘outsiders’ provides us with the inspiration to work toward a society where his words are true. At the same time, these words remind us that continuing discrimination, whether in relation to ‘race’, class, gender, disability, sexuality or other features of identity, still conveys a message to ‘outsiders’ that they have no place in ‘our’ society. The 'No Outsiders' research project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, supported primary teachers in challenging that message within their own schools and classrooms from September 2006 to December 2008. Over the course of this time, participation extended to include nursery providers, primary teacher-advisers and primary teacher-trainers. Ofsted and DCSF have both identified homophobic bullying (bullying based on assumptions about sexual orientation) as a key priority for all schools. Recent guidance on transphobic bullying published by the Home Office recognises that children as young as 2 years old may have a sense of being gender variant, or they might have parents who identify as transgender, which means that gender discrimination and transphobia can also have profound implications for primary aged children. Many children will have a connection, through family or friends, to non-heterosexual relationships and transgender experience, and some will come to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, but the life experience of all children will be profoundly affected by the ethos of their school, and this means creating a school environment where no-one is an outsider. This might involve, for example, including non-heterosexual relationships and non-gender conformity within discussions of family, friendship, self or growing up, exploring a range of identities and relationships through literacy, art, history or drama, or including a specific focus on homophobia and transphobia within a class- or school-based initiative to tackle bullying. This project is supported by the General Teaching Council for England, the National Union of Teachers and Schools Out. It supports the work of Education for All, Stonewall’s initiative to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered equality in schools, which is supported by a broad coalition of educational bodies, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the Teacher Development Agency (TDA) and the General Teaching Council for England (GTC). The project has been widely recognised in both national and international contexts. It has been included in The Global Human Rights Education Network (HREA) Compendium of good practices in human rights education, to be released Spring 2009, and teacher-researchers were awarded the British Educational Research Association/Sage Publishers Research into Practice Award for schools and early years setting in September 2008." Source and further information: http://www.nooutsiders.sunderland.ac.uk/about-the-project

That's exactly how they are thoroughly destroying the moral fabric of society. Teaching little kids who aren't old enough to know what the heck they're talking about the stuff that is for adult society. That's why there are little girs 9 and 10 years old running around in streetwalker clothes and the parents wondering why they got pregnant at 12. When I was young I went to 3 different high schools and I don't remember even one incidence of pregnancy in any of those schools. When they say abstinence doesn't work it's because THEY are promoting free sex! And, indoctrinating little children with their garbage. My grandchildren were homeschooled, have a averages and, gee whiz, they're all virgins. Wow. Imagine that.

Can you "opt out" of that part of the instruction? I know here where I live parents are given the agenda and we can "opt out" of any section that we don't agree with and have our kids pulled out of the classroom for those sections. See if you can do that at your school.

I think that really depends on your values, and beliefs. If you think it inappropriate, certainly you should do what you think is best.

If what is going be taught goes against your morals, then take them out. No person or government organization has the right to force their beliefs on a captive audience. That is what college is for.(sarcasm)It is up to the parent to decide when children find out about those sorts of things, and if the parent doesn't do it, that is the parents choice. My parents never had the sex talk with me and I am fine. Children are over sexed at an early age anyway. Let them just be kids.

Yes I sure would as it goes against the teachings of the Lord. Why would you let them teach your child SIN.

Just out of curiosity, what fairy tales? Are they rewriting old ones or what? In answer to your question, you know what's best for your kid. If you really think that learning this is bad for him, then act accordingly. But would it really be that bad for him to learn these things at school, where you know they'll handle it well and not shove any kind of propaganda down his throat? He's going to be "learning" that gay people are bad for the rest of his life. He's going to be "learning" that God hates gay people, and they're going to Hell, and that being gay is something to be ashamed of. He's going to "learn" that it's a disease that he can catch by being too open-minded. He's going to "learn" everything he needs to know - scratch that, everything other people need him to know - later, from his friends and his family and his TV. Would it be bad for him to learn the basics of it from a nonbiased source? Anyway, it's not like gay people will cease to exist if your kid doesn't know about them.

I personally feel Kindergarten is too soon to be teaching children about things like that. I would have a serious talk with the principle, get a petition circulating around. In the end he is your son, so the decision is yours to make.

Isn't kindergarden a little early? Seems like someone's pushing an agenda, a little prematurely, maybe even out of not fully understanding the whole situation. Why should we push sex education at such a young age? At this age kids are too busy playing to get so serious. So let the kids discover the universe at their own pace, in their own comfort zone. i'd have to see the poetry that was going to be taught, to really answer your question. if it was innocent enough i'd probably leave him in the school, after talking to the principal and teacher to see if some narrow minded philosophy was about to be shoved down his throat, jeez, Kindergarden?

I'm not sure what you should do. But personally, as a homo, I find the use of "fairy" tales to teach such a thing of a stereotypical and derogatory nature.

i think it definitely wrong to teach it that early around the age of 11/12 then yeah because kids need to know about it eventually. Only once they can form their own opinions though.

FAIRY tales? Heh. Well, that's up to you to decide based on what your beliefs are. And, based on what you want your son exposed to. I don't know how anyone here can answer this question for you. I really don't.

Some boys like boys; some girls like girls. What's the harm in letting the kid know that?

Only if you want him to grow up to be homophobic. It's just something that kids should be aware of. Just like it's important to for them to understand about different races, religions and cultures.

I don't think it's the school's job to teach your children about sex.

its your choice

I dont think the school should be teaching about any kind of sex to children that young. They not gonna really understand it anyway and it may make them not like fairytales or reading if they to hard to understand and at that age reading is something you want to encourage

Your son needs to learn about homosexuality at some point in his life, so why not now? Gay people exist and by refusing him the opportunity to learn in a sensible and in my opinion fantastic way about this you are being unrealistic. You will also impede his learning by taking him out of school. These are fairy stories. The teachers will not be showing hardcore gay pornography or sexual content to your son's class. By preventing him from learning about these people you will only encourage him to be close minded.

They will teach your son that being a homosexual is little different than having red hair. Most people aren't born that way, but there's nothing wrong with it. If that's what you want him to believe, let him stay. If those aren't your values, teach him at home what your values are with respect to homosexuality.

absolutely! i think that now is not the time for a CHILD, not teenager or adult to know about something in this nature. children of todays society are growing up way too fast and they're becoming involved in things that make them grow up entirely too fast. not to mention, that children emulate what they see and hear as well as learn, so im not saying your child shouldnt learn, im saying that now is definitely not the time.

do you fear that he might turn gay? or that he might be tolerant of gays?

NO! What are you? A gay basher?? Nazi maybe? The fact you ASKED this question is insulting.

Well, before we raise high the roofbeams, I would need to see what they are saying. It seems ludicrous to explain straight or gay to five year olds, but I haven't seen the material or what it says.

I think kindergarten is too young to be teaching any kind of sexuality. Kids are bombarded with sexual messages way too early in my opinion. Fourth grade would seem a bit more realistic.

No, there is no good reason to take him out of school for teaching about something. Its not like they are telling him he has to be gay or being recruited into a religion.