May 21, 2009

Changes to sex education programme

MOE tightens vetting

By Theresa Tan
		Education Minister Ng Eng Hen (left) announced schools will no longer have the autonomy to hire external groups to teach sexuality education to their students. --PHOTO: ST

SCHOOLS will no longer have the autonomy to hire external groups to teach sexuality education to their students. Instead, the Education Ministry (MOE) will now vet these providers, subject them to a "more stringent" criteria and schools can only use agencies approved by the MOE.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen announced these changes on Thursday afternoon, after parents complained of the controversial material contained in the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) sexuality education programme instructor's guide earlier this month.

RELATED LINKS Excerpts of Education Minister Ng Eng Hen's remarks at press conference on sexuality education on May 21 FAQ on schools sex education programmes

After the flood of complaints, the MOE suspended all sexuality education programmes run by external agencies on May 6.

The ministry told the media then that Aware's programme failed to conform to MOE's guidelines on sexuality education.

"In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor guide are explicit and inappropriate and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex," the MOE said.

Going forward, the MOE will provide parents with more information on sexuality education programmes taught in school and parents can pull their children out of these programmes if they don't feel comfortable with it.

However, the MOE's core sexuality education programme will continue and Dr Ng explained why. The number of teens down with sexually transmitted diseases jumped from 238 in 2002 to 787 in 2008, HIV among teens is on the rise and some 2,000 teens get pregnant every year.

Dr Ng said: "If you don't give them information, they will get it elsewhere. So schools must be a source of information, giving students a healthy perspective on sexuality education."

Dr Ng also had very strong words for parties involved in the Aware saga.

"Schools were dragged into this melee and could have become the proxy arena for competing ideologies. Issues became muddled, emotions ran high. This is an unhealthy, unproductive way to try to resolve issues that are inherently divisive," he said.

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