Sex Education in Schools.

April 12, 2017

'Break the Taboo"

The many cases of abandoned newborn babies and sexual abuse of children show that sex education is crucial. Parents need to be less squeamish and talk to their children about it, and schools must go deeper into the subject if current worrying trends are to be reversed, say the police and educators. 

Sex education in schools

As an alternative to sex education, the Education Ministry introduced the Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEERS) in secondary schools in 1989 and extended it to primary schools in 1994.

Sabah Education director Datuk Maimunah Suhaibul said the term “sex education” was not used because it was deemed a taboo to society and that the subjects were only taught verbally.

“The content of the curriculum is more to teaching the science of male and female reproductive systems, fertility and childbirth, and identifying and handling unwanted sexual attention,” she said.

Last year, Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said the PEERS content would be upgraded.

He said the upgrade would include equipping students with the knowledge to prevent them from falling victim to sexual harassment and abuse.

“Lessons on sex education can be carried out in the context of health and body awareness by focusing on safety aspects. Sometimes, they (children) are too friendly with strangers.”

Khair had also said sex education could also be revamped through school modules, adding that students were mostly aware of the dos and don’ts when it came to their bodies, but they could cave in to social pressure.

Seven topics had been proposed for the National Health Education Standards to expose students from kindergarten to adolescent level to minimum but essential content on sex education.

The topics include anatomy and physiology, puberty and adolescent development, identity, pregnancy and reproduction, sexually-transmitted diseases and HIV, as well as healthy relationship.