Comprehensive sexual Education

(Playing safe with traditional conservative sexuality education is no solution to wholesome and safe sex. In succumbing to conservative forces we are exposing youths to sexual problems. Are we sacrificing our youths when we ignore progressive and comprehensive sexuality education?

The prominence given by Straits Times to this letter in its printed edition is a sign of hope - YKH)

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May 3, 2010

SEXUALITY EDUCATION

Will it arrest the slide?

I REFER to last Thursday's report, 'Ministry picks groups to teach sexuality education'. While thanking the Ministry of Education (MOE) for selecting and auditing sexuality education in schools, I would like to raise some questions with the intention of improving the quality of such education.

In present society, we cannot expect much that effective sexuality education will come from parents. So this has to come from the school system. Meanwhile, the Internet is filled with readily accessible sites which provide bad rather than good information about sex.

Before approving the applications of six external vendors of sexuality education, MOE checked their track records and ensured that the sensitivities of our multi-religious and interracial society were taken into consideration. But the important factor is the effectiveness of sexuality education.

The chosen external vendors use traditional values and methods in their sexuality education programmes. But statistical reports in recent years indicate a rising trend of sexual activity among youth, teenage pregnancies, abortions and incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. By reverting to traditional approaches, we will not arrest this alarming trend.

Innovative and comprehensive sexuality education programmes have been abandoned because of conservative pressures. The question is whether youth are helped by traditional sexuality education programmes.

Are we dealing with sexuality education comprehensively? Are there programmes in other places with positive results that can benefit our youth?

And are we willing to take some risks to improve the quality and efficacy of sexuality education?