An assignment in a sex-education class at a high school in Kevelaer, located on the Lower Rhine in western Germany, has been criticized by the NRW Ministry of Education as inappropriate. The eighth-grade students were reportedly to work in groups to design a brothel under the title “The New Brothel for All.”
“The topic of sexuality requires especially sensitive handling in all educational contexts,” the ministry states in its response to a question from the AfD state parliamentary group. Therefore, teaching materials for sex education must be chosen with care.
Beyond factual and formal accuracy, it must also be assessed whether the teaching material is age-appropriate and whether it contributes to fostering the ability to take action and form judgments. “This material ‘The New Brothel for All’ clearly does not meet these requirements,” the ministry concluded.
School Assignment: Modernize the Brothel
The eighth-grade students at Cardinal von Galen High School were reportedly asked to modernize an existing brothel by drafting something like a business plan and to design a “house of sexual pleasure.” Among other tasks, they were to plan the offered services, the layout of the rooms, the workers, as well as advertising and price lists. This assignment caused confusion among parents, in the school council, and within the school community.
Use of the Material: Clearly Inappropriate
According to the ministry, three complaints from citizens were received about the incident. The state government said it was not aware of similar cases. In the Kevelaer gymnasium case, all involved were made aware that the use of this material should be deemed clearly unsuitable for classroom use.
At the same time, the ministry noted that, according to the responsible district government, the incident at the Kevelaer High School has been satisfactorily addressed within the school community.
The ministry further stated that sex education in schools must always be “age-appropriate, academically sound, and pedagogically sensitive.” It is standard to consider the individual learning prerequisites of students and to select teaching methods and media with a view to the specific learner group. Schools must also ensure the use of age-appropriate, professionally reviewed materials that are scientifically sound and didactically tailored to the target audience.
District Government: Irritations Resolved
According to the Düsseldorf District Government, the school administration regrets the disruption within the school community and has decided not to continue using the relevant teaching material. “Sex education must be conducted responsibly, sensitively, and age-appropriately,” the district government stated. “The material in question does not meet these standards in any way and is not suitable for classroom use.”
The involved teacher explained the background of the teaching material to parents and the class council. In doing so, misunderstandings were cleared up. The content of the lesson was also addressed and put into context with the students afterward. “The lesson unit was intended to provoke discussion and address topics that adolescents may encounter on social media,” the statement continued.
