The Ministry of Education (MOE) has suspended the Association of Women for Action and Research's (AWARE) sexuality programme after a thorough investigation.

In a press statement released this afternoon, the ministry said that the "Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Basic Instructor Guide" had been pulled off because it did not conform to MOE's guidelines in some aspects.

In particular, "some suggested responses in the instructor guide are explicit and inappropriate and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex".

However, it also pointed out that there were positive aspects in the guide, like accurate information on sexually-transmitted diseases and HIV and the role-playing practice for students to say 'no' to sex.

Giving a reason for its decision, MOE said that the Singapore education system did not promote alternative lifestyles to students.

It said: "MOE's framework for sexuality education reflects the mainstream views and values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit."

Apart from looking at AWARE's sexuality programme, the ministry also investigated the course materials used during General Paper (GP) lessons in junior colleges. The material had allegedly carried information on alternative lifestyles.

However it found that there was no AWARE influence present in these lessons: Teachers had used such materials to promote discussion on family structures and to promote critical thinking on contemporary issues.

MOE also urged parents to play a bigger part in sex education.

"Parents are ultimately responsible for inculcating values to their children. MOE's sexuality education programme aims to complement parents' role in helping students make informed... decisions regarding sexuality," it said.

MOE's decision to investigate AWARE's sexuality programme was a swift turn from its earlier stance late last month.

In a letter to the Straits Times forum, the ministry had said that it saw no reason because it had not received any complaints from parents about the programme.

However, two days after the letter was published, MOE said it decided to proceed with investigations as parents had started to express concern over AWARE's sexuality programme. In the meantime, an online petition - that collected about 1,300 signatures - had been circulating, calling for schools to "exercise greater care in bringing in sexuality programmes in future".