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26 Aug 2010

Netherlands to include same-sex couples in textbooks

As the first country in the world to grant same-sex marriages and allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, it's now looking at introducing same-sex couples into the nation's schoolbooks.

Radio Netherlands reports that Noordhoff, the country's largest publisher of school textbooks, is planning to feature gay and lesbian couples in the assignments, questions and examples it uses in its teaching material.

Ten years ago, Linda de Haan's children's book Koning en Koning (King & King) created a stir in the Netherlands. In the book a gay crown prince refuses to marry a princess but still wants to become king. In the end there is a fairytale wedding between two princes who live happily ever after. It was later translated into English and published in the US where some called for it to be banned.

Radio Netherlands:

In a radio interview, the firm's publishing director Frans Grijzenhout explained that while children have been taught about homosexuality in subjects such as biology and history for some time, the family situations presented in general teaching materials have always focused on mothers and fathers. He says it could now soon be same-sex couples doing the shopping in the examples presented to arithmetic pupils.

Mr Grijzenhout compares the development to the introduction of people from different ethnic backgrounds in school textbooks. The publisher argues that it is very important for school materials to reflect all aspects of Dutch society and to present homosexuality to children in a way that is natural and recognisable.

It will be a few years before gay and lesbian couples make their print debut, but they will be introduced more quickly in electronic material. The publisher notes that while teaching materials in the Netherlands are subject to government supervision, publishers have a relatively high degree of freedom in determining the content of their books.

 


 

The German Press Agency (DPA) (via the Deccan Heraldquoted Frans Grijzenhout, director of the Noordhof Uitgeverij publishing house as saying: "At the moment schoolbooks do not reflect life here."

"When a textbook deals with a family going on holiday, for example, the accompanying drawing will show a father, a mother and children. But there are other types of families."

DPA also reported:

In future, Noordhof's books will reflect the existence of same-sex parents in Holland. The country's schoolbooks already deal with Holland's multicultural society with depictions of Muslim girls wearing headscarves, says Grijzenhout. "In the same way we intend to bring homosexuality to children's attention."

Holland's association for the Integration of homosexuals has welcomed the move. It says the "hetero-normality in schoolbooks" should have been done away with long ago. For a long time the association has been observing a "decline in tolerance towards homosexuals" in Holland.


Homosexuality has a high profile in Holland but the number of attacks on gay men and women is on the rise. Even in Amsterdam homosexual couples have reported they feel less safe than in the past. 

Many of the attackers are young men with Muslim immigrant backgrounds. The association for the Integration of Homosexuals says that makes it all the more important for schoolbooks to "show male couples and female couples as completely normal."

Netherlands

Reader's Comments

1. 2010-08-26 20:45  
Another country wises up! Will the USA be last?
2. 2010-08-26 23:15  
"Many of the attackers are young men with Muslim immigrant backgrounds."

I find this extremely difficult to tolerate in a country which is trying to be forward thinking. I wonder if any Dutch people have gone to the Middle East and beaten up people with head scarfs on....?

3. 2010-08-26 23:54  
Hopefully Amazon will carry these books also!

I will definitely get these school books for my little nieces and nephews.

how cute!!!!
4. 2010-08-27 00:12  


I don't know whether this is a really positive move, or should we be rather waiting for the society to teach the culture first than to lay everything down already in print.

Nonetheless, this wouldn't work in my country for sure. Needless to ask why.
Comment #5 was deleted by its author on 2010-08-27 00:18
6. 2010-08-27 04:46  
:-)) It's good to see the Netherlands going strong....in the face of external elements hellbent on trying to destroy her core values & societal structure. Here's expressing my support!!! And I'm sure...millions of other PLUS around the world would, too. :-)
7. 2010-08-27 05:22  
When will Disney pick up Koning en Koning and make it into a movie? I will be awaiting the Happy Meal toys.
8. 2010-08-27 05:25  
Douze points au Pays Bas! ;-))
9. 2010-08-27 08:51  
bravo ...
10. 2010-08-27 09:25  
"Many of the attackers are young men with Muslim immigrant backgrounds."

Doesn't this barbaric religion attack anything that moves faster than them?
11. 2010-08-27 09:39  
@ #6 - this is a reason we are living in different countries by choice - as we know Holland is an example of super democratic and tollerant country ! I can only congratulate our dutch gay brothers !
12. 2010-08-27 09:42  
Is there anything not to like about the Dutch?! They eat chocolate for breakfast, has one of the most progressive, liberal mindsets, and of course, it's just the cherry on top that Dutchmen are so physically hot too... ;-)
13. 2010-08-27 10:39  
America has a while to go, but not a fair comparison in my view, a country with over 310 million people third largest on earth and growing,( not including 12 million illegal immigrants) with one of 16million, smaller than the state of California ( 35million), numbers count. ..in any case good start!!!
14. 2010-08-27 10:51  
Kel. Post #2. Great comment mate.

The answer to your question is that the Dutch know how to think for themselves, whereas.......
15. 2010-08-27 11:05  
it's an awesome start!
Comment #16 was deleted by its author on 2010-08-27 17:30
17. 2010-08-27 17:30  
Singapore? as any local would say...wait long long..
18. 2010-08-27 18:13  
like doing marketing, create awareness foremost, evolving....
19. 2010-08-28 23:55  
This is awesome. It all begins with education. HONEST education.
20. 2010-08-30 05:53  
It's an interesting subject to discuss. To ask that homosexuality to make its way into the education system on the primary levels.

I honestly believe that Asia and the Americas will definitely be slow in trying to discuss this because it's considered taboo should people find out.

It's hard enough to get acceptance for the public to accept homosexuality. Having it taught in schools will be a bigger challenge.

In the US it would be independent in regards to each area's education board. In Asia, with all of it being federalised, we would have to have an entire nation open to the idea.
21. 2010-09-25 10:13  
I'm from the Netherlands, and I strongly support this move!
My country is being destroyed from the inside by all the muslim arab immigrants who destroy our principles!!!!!!

Muslim men in holland roam the streets, vandalize everything in sight - they destroy bus stops, graffiti trains and walls, harass bus drivers - throw bricks through car windows - trick teenage girls into prostitution (seriously WTF) and WORST OF ALL they terrorize homosexuals and jews!

In textbooks in my country you only see names like 'mohammed' and 'fatima' and 'abdullah' WTF i REALLY hope this new thing will work for the better :(

De Groeten, :) (lol dutch for regards ;)
22. 2010-10-11 03:24  
@ #21: Daniel- I believe you :-)

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/ezra_levant/2010/10/08/15630946.html


No worries, not everyone in Asia is brainwashed...some of us see right through our politicians who think they're in control ;-)


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