KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday June 27, 2014, CMC – The human rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) had made a monetary contribution to six privately operated homes where a sex education programme had been implemented, according to an interim report released here.
Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna released the report by the Child Development Agency (CDA) that had been asked to probe the matter.
The controversy over the sex education programme has already led to the resignation of former JFJ executive director Dr Carolyn Gomes from the board of directors. Gomes was executive director when the programme was implemented.
Hanna had instructed the CDA, which has responsibility for the regulation of children’s homes and places of safety, to explain the circumstances which led to the programme being implemented for eight or nine months without the agency’s knowledge as well as the suitability of the material for the children.
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Hanna said she was “concerned about the breaches, particularly since the homes acknowledged that they did not advise the CDA about the programme although visited by monitoring officers of the CDA.”
The minister said she would take appropriate action after receiving the responses from the administrators of the homes.
In its interim report, the CDA found that the programme, titled “Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly: JFJ’s Pilot Intervention in Children’s Homes” had been implemented in both boys and girls homes and that the six facilities had indicated that they were contacted directly by representatives of Jamaicans for Justice via telephone and later by email and letter.
“The administrators of facilities gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs,” the report said, noting that “it was confirmed that the six homes each received a monetary contribution from the JFJ for use of their premises for the training.
The report noted that 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 and legal advice will have to be sought to determine if its presentation contravened any existing laws.”
The report noted that the children received training in the areas relating to homosexuality and anal sex and that the “training schedule was not noticeably displayed at the home in contravention of the regulations.”
Earlier this month, the JFJ defended the programme saying it got the go ahead from administrators of the homes.
JFJ executive director Kay Osbourne said the administrators did not indicate there was a requirement involving the CDA.
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Report released on controversial sex education at Jamaican private homes
