Interpellation regarding curriculum subjects concerning human sexuality and the associated rights of parents (No. 616)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-04-08 22:32
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 33
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 41m
AI Summaries: 33/33 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Interpellation No. 616, submitted by Varro Vooglaid, addressed subjects concerning human sexuality and parental rights in education. The inquirer, Vooglaid, expressed deep concern regarding the spread of the so-called gender ideology in Estonian schools and kindergartens, emphasizing that sex education should be the responsibility of the family. He sharply criticized the ideology which claims that sex can be changed or that there are more than two sexes, calling it unscientific and harmful to children. Vooglaid referred to international examples (e.g., the Tavistock Clinic) of the explosive growth of medical interventions and irreversible consequences, demanding state protection for children.
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas responded that Estonia does not have a separate subject for sex education; rather, the topics are integrated into human studies. The curriculum focuses on developing young people's awareness, responsibility, and positive self-image regarding health behavior in an information-rich environment. Kallas rejected Vooglaid’s position, emphasizing that biological sex and personal identity (self-image) are separate, and schools must support the development of children's social skills and accept the various manifestations of human intimacy and sexual identity. She stressed that children must not be lied to about societal reality (e.g., same-sex marriages). In the subsequent discussion, Vooglaid, Epler, and Helme accused the minister of ideological blindness and using "newspeak," while the minister stood firm on her position that harming children is forbidden, but supporting identity is not.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
Varro Vooglaid was the submitter of the interpellation and the most active speaker, participating in both the questions and the debate phase, where he sharply criticized the minister's positions. His position is better.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Riigikogu is addressing Varro Vooglaid's 616th interpellation concerning subjects related to human sexuality and parental rights. The Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, will respond to the query, which the interpellator specifically requested be presented to the public.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasizes that sex education for children should fall under the purview of parental responsibility, not the state. He warns against the influence of gender ideology and its spread in schools, as well as the dangers associated with medical interventions for minors. Furthermore, he poses three questions to the minister regarding how children are protected in Estonia and how the dissemination of such ideology in kindergartens and schools will be halted.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invited the Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, to the Riigikogu rostrum to answer the interpellation bearing the number 616.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Education and Research Minister Kristina Kallas stated that Estonia does not have a separate sex education subject. Instead, the topic is addressed within the framework of human studies, based on the national curriculum, focusing on the young person's health, responsibility, relationship development, and the shaping of their self-image. Furthermore, parents are involved through notification, and the curriculum is publicly accessible at schools. According to her, the spread of harmful gender ideology is not noticeable in kindergartens or schools.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the esteemed Minister, noting that he had at least two questions, and invited Evelin Poolamets to respond.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets discusses the book, "Sex Education for Preschool Children: Body, Feelings, and Safety," published by the National Institute for Health Development. She provides examples of exercises and role-plays and questions whether discussing this topic at such an early age is appropriate for a child's sense of security.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Thank you for the question. I showed how this game and situation were initiated not by adults, but by the children themselves.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas asks for silence in the hall.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas emphasized that when children initiate the game themselves, the adult's role is to support them—ensuring the child maintains a positive self-image and preventing trauma and negative emotions. She added that this is a guideline for adults on how to behave in such situations, not how to initiate them.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
During the announcement, Varro Vooglaid was requested to come forward.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vooglaid claims that harmful gender ideology instills in children the belief that a person can change their sex and that there are more than two sexes, which he considers unscientific, and calls on schools to protect children from this false indoctrination.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas emphasizes that biological sex does not always have to correspond to a person's sense of self, and although approximately 99% of the population falls into two biological sex groups, identity can vary, and states have the sovereign right to decide how to address this, given that the denial of identity has historically led to trauma and significant life setbacks.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invited Varro Vooglaid to ask a procedural question.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vooglaid asks ironically whether the ideological program spreading in schools would grant someone the right, simply by identifying as the president, prime minister, or Speaker of the Riigikogu, to sit in the official seat of that office and preside over the session.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stated that there can only be one president at a time, and the current one is Alar Karis, not Varro Vooglaid, and therefore no one is allowed to sit in the presidential box.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Speaker Helle-Moonika Helme asks the Minister what sanctions or consequences will be imposed upon educational institutions following the adoption of the law concerning the perversion of marriage if they fail to comply with the law, and whether private schools risk losing funding if they do not teach in the spirit of the perversion of marriage.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas emphasized that a profession is not an identity, and that schools must not lie to children or deny the actual social and legal reality, including the existence of same-sex marriages and families.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas asked his colleagues not to interrupt and to stop the constant muttering, because things cannot move forward this way; Rain Epler, please.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticizes the minister's demagoguery and expresses concern over the spread of extreme tendencies in American culture and gender-affirming care, emphasizing that children must be protected and asking how to prevent the rapid export of such culture to Estonia.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kallas stressed that actions harming a child are illegal and can in no way be justified by any ideology.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stressed that the question and the answer must be very clear and fully debated, and the minister must provide the answer, not allow someone to rush in.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas stated that any activity detrimental to a child is unlawful and must not be permitted. However, disagreements persist regarding the impact on a child's positive self-image development, and on the questions of biological sex versus social gender variants, where she stresses that there are only two biological sexes and other identity variants are not recognized.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas thanked the minister, said that there were no further questions, and subsequently Helle-Moonika Helme posed a procedural question.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme raised a procedural question, recalling the previous session and Toomas Kivimägi’s chairmanship, which had ended in a floor-vs-podium debate. She added that the opposing side should be allowed to express their views vocally, citing the parliamentary practice of civilized countries such as Finland or Canada.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas stated that the Riigikogu is conservative when it comes to its rules, and interrupting anyone in parliament is prohibited. Furthermore, the customs taught since 2007 must be adhered to.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler thanked the Chair, offered a procedural apology for his emotional reaction, and proposed compiling a dictionary of 'newspeak' to understand the terms used by the ministers, such as "positive self-image" and "social gender," which are distinct from biological sex.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas stated that this was not a procedural matter, thanked Helle-Moonika Helme for withdrawing her second procedural question, and then opened the debate by inviting the interpellant, Varro Vooglaid, to take the floor.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid accuses the Minister of Education and Research of ideological blindness, asserting that human sex is biologically binary and cannot be changed, and that identity must not be detached from reality.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The content of the utterance is merely the word "Please!", which expresses both the desire to make a request and politeness.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid warns that ministers lack an elementary evidence-based perspective and that the state is failing to protect children from the spread of gender ideology. Consequently, he demands that they fulfill their obligations and, if necessary, resign.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas announced that there were no further requests to speak. However, since the discussion had not been formally concluded, the negotiations were not yet closed. He then invited Rain Epler to the Riigikogu rostrum, praised his colleague, and expressed hope for a quicker response time in the future.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler criticizes the gender-related debate as demagoguery and warns that changing the assessment criteria could lead to suffering and suicidal ideation among children, notwithstanding the minister's assurances that all harmful practices are forbidden.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas concludes the debate, as the interpellation has been answered and the consideration of the seventh item on the agenda is thereby finished.