news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/education/newsid_1832000/1832279.stm -> news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1832279.stm
The University of California at Berkeley is investigating claims of inappropriate behaviour during a student-led course that explored male sexuality. The course was part of the university's progressive "democratic education" scheme, in which students can teach each other and pursue subjects which they feel of personal relevance. Concerns about the course were raised in a student newspaper, The Daily Californian, which contained allegations that students had taken part in an orgy. Photographs There were also accounts of trips to a strip club and parties at which students took sexually-explicit pictures of each other. The course, which provided credits towards graduation, had a number of guest speakers scheduled, including a porn actress and a representative of a sex shop. University authorities have now shut the course pending an inquiry into the alleged events - which were described as "not part of the approved course curriculum". Dumbing down The claims have sparked a lively debate in the student newspaper, with some letters condemning the course as the ultimate in dumbing down, while others have argued that it is an honest attempt at understanding an important subject. But a student who had taken the course attacked "flimsy, sensationalistic" attacks on an "educational gem". Had it been an anthropology party that turned lascivious, I doubt it would have made the front page of The Daily Californian," said the 27-year-old correspondent. There was also a letter from a course co-ordinator who condemned the coverage as "a bunch of lies". We do have an end of the semester party where we go out to a strip club," the letter writer continued. Some of the students did get up and do their dance, taking off clothes as part of it. See also: 05 Oct 00 | Asia-Pacific 34 Thais to master sex 07 Aug 99 | Education 35 Students choose sex over study 21 Sep 99 | Education 36 Sex education call for students Internet links: 37 University of California at Berkeley The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Education stories now: 38 Schools' budgets may be frozen 39 Students 'stressed by exam overload' 40 Anger at education scheme benefit cut 41 New 'focus' for school tests 42 Boost for ethnic minority teachers 43 Healthy eating in schools 'backfires' 44 Link between poverty and truancy 45 Language study for the 21st Century Links to more Education stories are at the foot of the page.
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