UNDERSTANDING the range of different sexual orientations is an important part of every Canberra teen's development, according to Australia's only openly gay education minister.
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But teachers in the ACT lack any approved lesson guides about issues that often end up in the too hard basket for under-resourced educators.
As public school teachers across Australia struggle to keep up with ''sexting'', cyber-bullying and same-sex relationships, the ACT Education Directorate is still at the steering group stage of producing anti-homophobia programs for ACT schools. Education Minister Andrew Barr, who held an ACT Schools anti-homophobia conference earlier this year to raise awareness of homophobia issues in government and independent schools, believes strongly in an inclusive sex education curriculum across the nation's capital.
''Understanding sex and sexuality is important part of a well-rounded education,'' he told the Sunday Canberra Times.
''The important thing is for young people to look after their health and again an understanding of sex and sexuality is important to helping young people stay healthy.
''It is also very important that young people learn to understand their sexuality and the sexuality of those around them to ensure that sexual orientation is not a cause for bullying and intolerance.''
But a spokeswoman from the minister's office conceded no resources were currently available to assist ACT teachers plan lessons on homophobia or other emerging gender and sexuality issues. She said the directorate ''does not have a specific policy about sex education'' in ACT schools, despite ''all secondary teachers undertaking physical education and health studies are trained in the area of teaching sexual health''.
Interstate, governments have developed a range of resources to assist parents and teachers to talk to children and teenagers about same-sex relationships.
A handbook for parents issued by the Western Australia Government earlier this year, Talk Soon. Talk Often. A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex, says children get their first ''crushes'' and begin to be sexually attracted to others between about nine and 11.
''Children may become aware of new, first sexual feelings for children of the same sex,'' it says.
''When a child senses disapproval of homosexuality from family and society they may feel forced to hide crushes on people of the same sex.''
Parents are told to ''normalise same sex couples and same sex attractions'', which conforms with anti-discrimination laws and values held across Australia.