Unions will be consulted over sex ed material

Unions will be consulted before the material to be taught in sex education classes is decided on, Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou said on Tuesday.

His statements were made in a bid to reassure teachers that efforts were underway so as not to affect the timetable.

Nonetheless, Prodromou warned the deadlines are tight as sex education needs to start being taught in September.

Following parliament’s recent passage of the law, the ministry needs to submit a proposal to Cabinet indicating the budget required for the additional staff, Prodromou said.

The matter of sex education was controversial from the onset, with independent MP Andreas Themistocleous saying whichever hand it was that authored the law it “was guided by a diseased brain” and “we are living in a porn-fuelled and gay storm.”

His statements prompted condemnation from Accept LGBTI+ and calls for his prosecution for hate speech from the Green party and Akel.

Though the government said it would initially be sent back to parliament citing its unconstitutionality, President Nicos Anastasiades eventually signed it into law.