NSW parents’ fury after classroom sex talk became ‘too graphic’

Counselling is being offered to Year 6 students and a senior staff member stood aside after an impromptu classroom sex talk became too “graphic”.

Counselling is being offered to Year 6 students and a senior staff member stood aside after an impromptu classroom sex talk became too “graphic”.

The Sunday Telegraph has spoken to several angry parents at Illawong Public School who alleged their children came home with allegations the staff member had covered graphic topics and discussed a pornography website.

The discussion is alleged to have occurred on November 7 in the library with Year 6 students telling their parents the staff member had asked them to write down questions on a pieces of paper, which she later read out in front of the class before giving verbal responses.

One parent – who requested her name be withheld – said her child claimed the staff member was asked by another student about a pornographic website and answered the question – an allegation that was circulated the following days on a parent chat group.

The parent said she and several others emailed the staff member to complain, and were informed the discussion was prompted by students having participated – with their parents’ consent – in an independently-run session earlier in the year called Amazing Me.

This had appropriately covered sexual health but had led to ongoing “inappropriate” playground discussions.

The staff member allegedly said it was her intention to conduct a discussion in a “safe space” to end that chat.

However, some parents are so angry about the incident that they have threatened to pull their children from the school unless the senior staff member is moved on.

“We did not give consent for this discussion and it was simply inappropriate,” one parent said.

“Parents are really angry and also angry at the responses from the school. These topics are not in the school syllabus.”

Counselling is being offered to Year 6 students at the school.

Raising the issue in state parliament last week, Miranda MP Eleni Petinos said she “audibly gasped” after reading parents’ emails at the “advanced and graphic sexual content” that was discussed with students.

“One concerned parent wrote that the person’s “actions have advanced her child’s sexual knowledge far exceeding the knowledge of a 12-year-old child,” she said.

On Sunday, Education Minister Prue Car apologised to parents at the school, saying “what happened ... was not on”.

“The [staff member] has been stood aside, the activities are subject to an investigation by the Department of Education’s professional ethical standards unit,” Ms Car said.

“That is very serious and I will let that investigation take place.”

Ms Car said the department had acted “immediately” upon parents’ complaints and that she would be “pretty concerned if I was a parent too of a child in that class”.

The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed Year 6 students have been offered counselling while the Department of Education has offered an apology to the school community.

“We take the health, safety and wellbeing of our students very seriously,” a department spokeswoman said.

“Following complaints by parents of Year 6 students at Illawong Public School, (staff member) has been directed to undertake other duties in the department, outside of any school, while a thorough investigation into this matter takes place.

“We expect all our staff to deliver age-appropriate education aligned to the syllabus and in this case it did not happen. We apologise to the school community for the distress to their children.”

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