Sexuality education is defined as a process of acquiring correct information and forming healthy attitudes and beliefs about sexual identity, relationships, and intimacy. Moreover, it is about providing essential information for young people about "abstinence, body image, contraception, gender, human growth and development, human reproduction, pregnancy, relationships, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, sexual anatomy and physiology, sexual health, and sexual orientation" (Plannedparenthood, 2015). It is widely argued in western societies that providing sex education promotes health and well-being of young people. The major aim of this education is to reduce potential negative results from sexual behavior, in particular unplanned pregnancies and transmission of sexual infections. Additionally, it also helps young people to feel safe and make informed decisions (Plannedparenthood, 2015).
The proponents, who support the idea
of the necessity of providing sex education for pupils, believe that schools
with the help of parents should provide developmentally appropriate knowledge
with the aim of helping students to make healthy decisions. According to the
many, “medically accurate sex education is an investment in our children’s
future”, where the return will be a generation of healthy young people able to
make informed decisions, feeling comfortable with their body, and capable to
build healthy relationships (Plannedparenthood, 2015). Interestingly, according
to the results of National Public Radio survey, almost ninety per cent of US
parents support sex education in schools and the majority of them believe that
sex education has been very helpful for their children (Plannedparenthood,
2015).
However, sex education is one of the
most controversial issues in contemporary education (Whitehead, 1994). Despite
the above-mentioned potential positive outcomes, there is a criticism about the
necessity, implementation, and content of sex education. The major critique is
that there is still little evidence about the effectiveness of this education,
arguing that sex education does not really prevent young female students from increased
teenage pregnancy and prevent young people from sexually transmitted disease. There
is an ongoing debate about the appropriate age of teenagers and content of the
curriculum, posing such questions as at what age, in what manner, and what type
of information schools need to provide for young people. Critics continue
saying that schools take away the responsibility from parents in educating
their children about sexual education. Another issue is that teachers are not
always sufficiently trained to teach sexual education and may potentially be
biased. Incorrect information and vague ideas of teachers in turn may
negatively affect impressionable mind of young people. Additionally, sexual
education may go against moral and religious beliefs hold by many young people
and confuse students. Finally, it has been widely argued that sex education may
potentially encourage and raise teenagers’ curiosity about sex.
Unfortunately, problems like teenage
pregnancy, rape, and discrimination become more common nowadays and there is a
belief that sex education might help to reduce these problems. Schools
should effectively train teachers, who need to have healthy and positive
attitudes and can provide an accurate information in a nonbiased way. There is
no doubt that this controversial theme will continue to be the grist of
everyday discussions and debates and raise many questions from schools, parents,
teachers, and young people. Therefore, it is important to raise social
awareness as well as responsibility to come up with the best effective ways of delivering information so that youth could make informed decisions. What do you think about the pros and cons of adopting sex education in Kazakhstan?
References:
Plannedparenthood.
(2015). Implementing Sex Education. Retrieved from: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/educators/implementing-sex-education
Whitehead,
B.D. (1994). The Failure of Sex Education. The Atlantic online. Retrieved from: http://www.theatlantic.com/past/politics/family/failure.htm
This topic is one of my fears as a mother. However, we have already discussed with my husband, that he is going to talk about sex to our sons as soon as we notice their curiosity about this issue.
ReplyDeleteDue to the rapid development of social media, which is impossible to control always, students might benefit from studies about sex. The lessons could be more useful with parents' support. For example, parents should be informed and encouraged to talk on this topic at home before the lessons.
I also think that such lessons should be tought at the university. Being far from parents, freshers tend to make mistakes more than the schoolchildren. Therefore sex should be tought at the university more intensively. Thank you for such a thought-provoking topic!
Ainur, thanks for such an informative post! I absolutely agree on the importance of people's awareness of sexually transmitted disease and responsibilities for early pregnancy. However, I don't think it is a good idea to introduce sexual education as a subject due to the reasons you have listed. Pupils already associate school with something boring, so why to make it also embarrassing?
ReplyDeleteAs Malika mentioned, parental support is crucial in such sensitive topic. So, it might be better to discuss it with parents first (at least, it is also about their interest).
Dear Ainur,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for such an extraordinary post! I do remember myself when I was a school student, and to tell the truth... it seems to me that these lessons will be ineffective because children at this time are not willing to talk about such issues, and moreover, to share with somebody... especially such a personal and sensitive information. I do agree with Malika, maybe, taking into account our Kazakh mentality, it will be better to introduce sex education from the university or college.
However, I am not an expert in this... More research is needed in order to make the right decisions...
Kind regards,
Aliya)
Just yesterday the MA group discussed some "hot topic" ideas for their upcoming group debates, and this subject was on the list. It is no doubt one of the most sensitive subjects in schools as it intersects issues of personal privacy, family autonomy, and cultural and religious beliefs. Schools, as always, are in the precarious position of providing educational services deemed important by the state while respecting the wishes of all the families, parents and children involved.
ReplyDeleteI have one concern about your first paragraph, as it seems much of the wording comes directly from the Planned Parenthood site. Either paraphrase more uniquely, or use quotation marks where appropriate.
I stand as a dissenter to a couple of the previous comments as I do believe sex education can yield fruitful results.
ReplyDeleteThis topic starts to pique children’s interest mostly in their teen-age. However, as this theme is very sensitive, children feel embarrassed to ask parents about it. What is more, I bet many parents are too timid as well to talk about that with their children. For instance, my parents, children of the Soviet education, have never spoken with me on this issue. The reason is that in the USSR to raise this topic was kind of taboo, many still remembering popular catchphrase “There is no sex in the USSR”… Hence, I convince that in school children can emancipate themselves asking questions about sex, diseases, risks and ramifications sex can lead to.
Regarding research done in this field, I propose you to have a look on a study conducted in Haryana, which managed to change “children’s knowledge as well as attitude on issues like unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS, sexual abuse, violence, and equity in decision-making powers of girls and boys”(http://infochangeindia.org/public-health/features/the-benefits-of-sex-education-and-counselling.html)
Thans for the post!
I agree with Mariya that sex education can bring more positive results than negative. As it was said before, media and Internet full of sex propaganda. And today a child can easily get it. However it is not a good way to introduce a child with sex topic. So, if children anyway knows about it from Internet or peers, I think it would be much better, if school provide a few informative lessons for children about sex.
ReplyDeleteThank your for a nice post! Actually I think that the issue of sex is being taught at 9,10 and 11th grades in all schools in terms of one hour lecture. However, it is not broadly discussed and delivered to teenagers. Therefore, nowadays there are a lot of girls who become pregnant and even ready to do aborts. In this case, I guess parents should be involved in their children's private lives.
ReplyDeleteDear Ainur, thank you for raising this crucial issue. From my perspective, introduction of appropriate course of “sex education” at high school level would be beneficial for students, as well as for parents and school authorities. However, I think that school administration should think about the content and delivery of the information. Probably, it would be better to develop seminars or workshops devoted to this topic, where teenagers will be able to share their thoughts, ask questions and be informed about sex related themes, without embarrassment and humiliation. Qualified teachers would provide teenagers and even pre-teen students with professional opinions and better advice than they can get from Google search. Hopefully, sooner or later we will reach the point of understanding that only through the constructive dialogue we can challenge the existing state of things.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ainur, for bringing up such a concealed topic. Now I'm really interested what would be the result if the same survey was conducted in Kazakhstan. It is sad that most parents in our country still find sex education as an embarrassing topic forcing their children to search for other sources of information. At least for this reason, sex education should be provided in schools. It will help young generation to stay health, prevent undesired pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
ReplyDeleteDear Ainur, the topic is really sensative. School is the location of knowledge, I believe it is good to develop such courses as "sex and behavior", but the mind of teenagers have to be ready to receive the information. As I remember we had a seminar about early pregnancy. Our class did not listen, and laugh all the time when they heard word "sex". this was unsuccessful try in 8 grade. But then we hade the same topic at 11 grade, my peers were listening and we had nice talk about early pregnancy prevention.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the advantages overweight the disadvantages. Because it is always goot to know the backlashes of unsafe sex.
As a mother I prefer if school curriculum would teach such courses at upper level grades.
Nowadays, young generation suffer from different diseases that are the consequences of early sexual activity. Many of them do not know how to protect themselves from these. That is why, a lot of attention is paid to sex education of children from school period. There is an argument between parents if it necessary to give this education or no. Some of them think that it can negatively influence children’s character because they can accept this information incorrectly. Others, vice versa, require schools teach sex education. The first reason is that they want their children to be informed about this to prevent consequences. The second – parents doubt how to explain this issue to their children and they need school’s help. In my opinion, sexual education should be implemented in schools. It is correct if it will be taught by psychologists and professional medical staff. Information needs to be shared in appropriate and “accurate” way not to destroy minds of children.
ReplyDeleteIt is burning issue! But still some authors claim that it will facilitate the decreasing number of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, for somebodies it will be interesting but for others it will be waste of time and embarrassing thing. I think that cooperation of stakeholders: parents, teachers, psychologist and school will be very helpful thing. Because students usually shy at home and at school might be very active or vice versa. That is why teacher and parent should be in one team and facilitate each other that will be a formula of happy student!
ReplyDeleteSex education is not something that we should hide from our children. We do not hide how other species reproduce themselves in biology subject so why we have to hide the important information concerning a human body? What is wrong with sex so that we have to consider it as something that is sensitive to talk about?
ReplyDeleteI believe that unawareness of children about their body functions might cause many problems in their future lives until they are self-educated about the sex in their adulthood. Hence, why should children have gaps in sex education?
Children are curious and if they did not get the answer, they anyway try to find an answer and had to search other sources of information. Knowing the behavior of children in such situation, how adults can let their children to rely on doubtful sources about the sex.
I was thirteen when I was lectured about those adult things for the first time. It was a meeting with doctor from our local hospital, me and about 70 other 7th form students. To tell the true no one from us did not accept this information seriously it was funny to listen to everything that was said by this old men. I do not know exactly if it was sex education,but since that time we had such meetings at least twice in a year. And as it was revealed after, our school administration incorporated this lecture because at that time one 14 years girl from our school gave a birth. Fortunately, it was only one case during my high school years and I think that those lectures contributed to our upbringing and somehow made us to be more serious about sexual relationships, and within the time we accepted it as necessary knowledge.That is why I think it is important to inform teenagers about possible implications of sex relationships. Probably implementation of the new subject like sex education is too much, but such preventive lectures must take place at school.
ReplyDelete