Sex ed debate continues

With the school opening almost upon us, the debate continues to rage about that age-old question: Should sex education be taught in schools?

One online debate yielded an overwhelming “yes” with 81 percent. An advocate of this school of thought said, “Should teens have sex education in schools? Absolutely. While part of me would like to say that it’s the responsibility of the parents, it isn’t — not fully. Many parents aren’t equipped…,” Jessalyn Pinneo says.

At the opposing end, one Alycia Morales wrote, “Sex education is something that should be taught at home, not in a public school system. If you want to teach human anatomy, teach it in biology class, but don’t call it sex education.”

More than 20 years ago, high school kids of my generation used to giggle and blush at the mere mention of body parts. Girls who were open to casual relationships then were the rarity rather than the norm. Boys could woo their sweethearts all they wanted, but sex belonged in a world we dared not trod.

I also remember, however, that my parents, though doctors, did not sit us down to discuss the birds and the bees. I used to believe they were too busy, but now I think they weren’t comfortable talking about it. I don’t remember how it happened, but suddenly I had a set of pamphlets by my bedside, which, of course, I read in between my fiction binges. I chanced upon a word that had something to do with sexuality, and when I asked my mom about it, she became quite busy fixing the curtains and inching out of the room.

I’m not sure, but if they had explained those things to me then, would I have had the maturity or wisdom to handle the matter with more werewithal? Stuff we learned in biology class and that silly excuse of a health class (which was supposed to teach sex education, I think, under the nuns’ beady eyes) have little to do with the issues the youth today face that necessitates a sex education subject.

The world is different now, just as our parents must have thought then when we were kids. Not much has changed, however, in the general feeling of “taboo” when it comes to the subject of sex, especially when it is suggested that it be discussed with children.

News reports have shown that while the Department of Education (DepEd) is open to talk with the Church on the controversial issue, it will push through with its implementation of sex education this school year.

The Church, of course, is against it, insisting that it is the job of parents to talk to kids about the subject and arm them against the real world. Education Secretary Mona Valisno, however, says it is not about destroying innocence but giving the youth the right information so that they will know the importance of abstinence as well its consequences.

It cannot be denied that advances in technology have exposed the youth today to more information than ever before. If this is not properly handled, it could lead to more unwanted pregnancies and sex-related diseases, not to mention abuses that happen because of ignorance or fear. Knowledge is power, and if schools participate in teaching kids in conjunction with their parents, then it might help protect them from the dangers out there. For example, a report has stated that the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) noted “the Philippines is currently witnessing an increase of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection” among 15 to 24 year old Filipinos. –Dinah S. Ventura, Daily Tribune