DepEd told to review decision to implement sex ed in schools

Pro-life Philippines Foundation has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to reassess its decision of implementing sex education in schools in time for the opening of classes this June.

Marisa Wasan, Executive Director of Pro-Life Philippines, in a position paper, said DepEd should reconsider its decision and instead be consistent in its vision of helping the Filipino children achieve their full potential in a learning environment suited to them.

She further said the primary right to instruct children on sexual morality belongs to the parents or children’s guardian and not to the school.

“Although schools have the right and duty to assist parents in this undertaking, sexual morality must not be imparted in a group setting while this moral education must conform to the tradition and teaching of religion and culture,” she said.

Wasan said Pro-life members complained that teachers who are supposed to teach the subject are apparently not well trained, “so they ignore the curriculum or do not know how to deal with it.”

Since these teachers grew up in an environment where this issue was taboo, it is understandable that they feel uneasy to discuss the subject in public, she said.

“So how can we make this program successful when the ones who will execute them are unprepared and unmotivated,” Wasan asked.

DepEd has earlier announced its decision to pilot test sex education in some 30 public schools nationwide in time for the opening of classes this June.

But Pro-Life expressed concern saying the targeted students are as young as 11 years old and that the program include “videos and sessions [that encourage] use of contraceptives and [show] situations involving decision-making over committing sexual intercourse…”

Sex education that teaches the use of contraceptives can only send wrong signals to children and can lead to promiscuity and diseases, Pro-life argued.

“If we teach children to use condoms, we tell them in effect that it is all right to have sex thus they gain a false assurance in a situation where they themselves should not be trying out at an early age,” Wasan explained.

Elementary and highschool students are obviously too young and immature to handle such sensitive subject, she stressed, adding that college students “should be the ones getting this kind of attention.”

“Yes, knowledge is power but if they are given to the wrong hands, it could be detrimental,” Wasan said.

She noted that sex and sexuality, “by their very nature are private and intimate,” so teaching sex education in school would make them “public and open,” because “education is an activity which is essentially public.”

Wasan also pointed out that she sees no reason for sex education to be taught as a separate subject in school since education on sexuality is already integrated in various programs.

“If sex education is about the anatomy of the reproductive system, sophomores take up Biology and elementary students get a basic glimpse in their Science and Health subjects. If sex education is about personal hygiene, don’t we learn that from our Good Manners and Right Conduct subject? And if sex education is about chastity and delayed gratification, aren’t those handled already by Values Education teachers?” she opined.

But despite her criticism on DepEd’s decision, Wasan also acknowledged the department’s efforts to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and lower pregnancy rates among teens by stressing abstinence.

However, “the rest of their efforts need careful scrutiny and adamant criticism,” the executive director quickly added.