A controversial "relationship program" being conducted by a Christian charity in schools in  Singapore reportedly smacks of bigotry and biases after a Hwa Chong Institution first year student, Agatha Tan, narrated her experiences in attending one of their workshops.

Tan enumerated all the questionable and confusing issues that were tackled in the program which included alleged discrimination against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender or LGBT community in relationships, belittling  girl problems, emphasizing the traditional gender roles, and promotion of "rape culture" in schools.

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Tan, in her lengthy Facebook post addressed to her high school principal, dubbed the program to be a "sexuality education program" although "Focus on the Family," the Christian charity which runs the seminar, was quick to point out that it is not.

The FOTF said the program is designed to be a relationship program that will help young boys and girls understand the world of the opposite sex, learn the intricacies of love and dating, and teach the young to have healthy and meaningful relationships.

"From merely glancing through this booklet," she said, referring to the handout at the workshop," I learned a simple yet important lesson: that bigotry is very much alive and it was naïve of me to think I could be safe from it even in school."

In the post, Tan accused the FOTF workshop of actively promoting rape culture in schools.

The Hwa Chong Institution student  took a swipe at FOTF organizers saying the workshop only made the youth more confused as she referred to the cover page of the booklet that says, " Yes means no? And no means Yes?"

Tan said that thinking that a girl means yes when she says no is utterly wrong. Tan said this mentality is the exact trigger for date rape that has been on the rise on many school campuses.

She charged the school for being an unwitting accomplice in the promotion of a culture of rape in schools through their contracting of FOTF services.

The freshman said the four-hour workshop tackled the traditional roles of a girl and boy in a relationship, belittling the importance of the girl as an individual and promoting the masculine characteristics of the boy who should be served and revered by the girl.

"This sexist attitude not only trivializes girls' problems, but also serves as a foundation for the further boosting of the male ego FotF seems so invested in doing," Ms. Tan said.

She likewise questioned how the workshop seemed to discriminate minority groups such as the LGBT community.

Tan pointed out that the quickness and ease of the facilitators to not include this group because it is outside the traditional heterosexual relationships and thus, outside of their moral beliefs, was a clear display of bigotry and therefore unacceptable.

The first year student lambasted the organizers saying that the workshop does more harm than good for young people who are in the midst of a sexual identity crisis. She said having school authorities tell these students that they do not matter because they are not straight is "emotionally destructive."

Tan said that the school should provide a healthy learning environment without fear of students being bullied or persecuted for who they are or for who they wanted to be. 

TagsAgatha Tan, Christian charity, FOTF, Hwa Chong Institution, focus on the family, sexuality, bigotry