By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ACTING Director of Education Dominique McCartney-Russell said making students aware of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community is a part of the education curriculum.

However, she said, students are not taught that being a part of the LGBT community represents an “alternative lifestyle” for them.

She was asked about LGBT issues during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing yesterday.

In our health and family life education programme, our students are aware of all of the issues surrounding education and so they will be aware of what LGBT means,” she said. “They are aware of, even in our religious studies curriculum, of loving people regardless of who they are and so students have that awareness. It’s in our curriculum in the sense that students know what is out there.”

“When you look at the health and family life education, for example, students would be aware of what LGBT means, you know, what that community stands for. We’re not teaching it as okay, this is an alternative lifestyle for you, but we want them to know what is in their midst.”

“For example, in our religious studies curriculum, we teach the different religions. We teach what is out there, not necessarily for students to participate but to know what is there. Just what I said: definitions, basically.”