The Department of Education (DepEd) clarified on Friday that it will not teach students about sex or intercourse per se but about the science of reproduction, physical care and hygiene, correct values and the norms of interpersonal relations to avoid pre-marital sex and teenage pregnancy.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has opposed the intended integration of sex education in the elementary and high school curriculum, insisting that matters such as these “should be left to parents.”
Education Secretary Mona Valisno stressed that the contents of the modules that will be integrated are scientific, informative and are not designed to titillate prurient interest.
“Our role here is to educate our young people on issues that directly affect them and empower them to make informed choices and decisions,“ Valisno added.
The sex education modules will be pilot tested in some 79 public secondary schools and 80 elementary schools nationwide in the incoming school year. However, the department said more schools will be added after an assessment.
Valisno explained that sex education will be integrated in Science; Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP); Health; Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, at Sibika; and Mathematics. Under Science, topics on the reproductive system, parts of the body, reproductive cycle, and puberty are discussed. EPP, on the other hand will integrate proper behavior among and between peers of different genders. Health component of Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health covers personal hygiene and reproductive heath.
In addition the position of religion on pre-marital sex and the norms when people of opposite sex interact will be discussed in Social Studies while data on issues like pre-marital sex, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in their mathematical analysis and exercises in statistics will be incorporated in Mathematical discourse.
The Education department chief further said that a certain number of psychologists were involved in the preparation of modules to ensure that specific topics for discussions will be made in the appropriate year levels while more mature topics will be for the secondary education.
According to the department, two batches of teachers were already trained in using the modules with the third batch to be trained this year.
“The next administration will be the one to decide whether to implement this fully, revise the modules, apply on selected schools, or totally scrap it,” Valiso said, adding the Education department remains open to consultations. –Kristine Bunda, Manila Times
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