TV-show with nude teachers will not be banned
Minister of Media Affairs, Arie Slob, said he does not see a possibility to prevent the broadcast of an NPO-program in which teachers stand in front of the classroom naked, the RD reports.
During the show titled “Gewoon Bloot”, elementary school children in groups seven and eight will have the chance to ask questions about their bodies to their teachers who are not wearing any clothes.
The release of the show sparked heavy debates on social media. Member of the PvdA, Tunahan Kuzu, for example, wrote on Twitter in response: “These are children that we need to protect.” SGP leader Kees van der Staaij stated: “Children from elementary school being confronted with these completely naked strangers in the classrooms goes way too far for me.”
Van der Staaij posed critical questions to Slob about the TV-show. According to the SGP-member, there are other ways to educate children about the human body.
Slob reacted to the claims by stating: “From my position as Minister of Media, it is not up to me to judge the contents of a program. It is in line with constitutional freedom of expression and media independence. The independence of the public broadcaster is extremely valuable.”
He pointed out that the show was created in collaboration with the Rutgers Research Center for Sexuality, which stated that the show is suited for children of all ages. He added that it is ultimately the decision of the parents what their children can or cannot watch.
It is not yet clear if filing a complaint at Nicam which is responsible for Kijkwijzer will lead anywhere. The institute has previously stated that the show “does not contain harmful elements such as violence, sex discrimination, foul language or terrifying imagery.”
A spokesperson for the broadcaster NTR, stated to the NOS: “The show was produced very carefully. During the production, extensive discussions were held with the children about what was going to happen and they always had the opportunity to say how they felt.”
Gewoon Bloot is a version of the Danish show “Ultra smider tøjet”, in which eleven- to thirteen-year-olds asked questions to their naked teachers. In Denmark, the TV-show was also partly met with backlash from the public.
The first episode of Gewoon Bloot was released on Sunday with the second episode scheduled for March 28.
