He said that after investigations were conducted into the programme, 'there's a sense that they have exceeded the guidelines'.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that all sexuality education programmes run by external groups in schools will be suspended until a new, tougher vetting process for such programmes is put in place.

Among the suspended programmes was the controversial one by Aware. The ministry had said it had some suggested responses which are 'explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of premarital sex'.

Neither the ministry nor Mr Iswaran gave details of which parts of the Aware programme they were referring to.

The basic instructor's guide for Aware's programme, a copy of which was posted online, contained lines such as 'anal sex can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condom', and 'homosexuality is perfectly normal. Just like heterosexuality, it is simply the way you are'.

Speaking after a community event yesterday, Mr Iswaran said the core sexuality programme devised by the MOE would continue in schools.

This programme, he stressed, strives to keep sexuality education in line with mainstream values in Singapore.

It is based on the family as the basic unit and conservative mainstream values in Singapore, he said.

Asked yesterday if the ministry was negligent in taking so long to uncover the specifics of the Aware programme, Mr Iswaran explained that there are more than 350 schools here, and they are given considerable autonomy.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.