Government Includes Sex Ed in High School Lessons
Sex education has become part of regular high school lessons in the Philippines for the first time. The lessons on sex are included in regular science and health studies. The secretary of Education Mona Valisno said that officials would study whether such lessons were also appropriate for younger pupils.
“They should know these things, about the body and how to protect it instead of learning about it on the Internet,” Valisno said. Church leaders in the devoutly Catholic country immediately hit back at the plan, saying the state had no business to be talking to youngsters about sex.
“The students should not be taught sexuality based on the physical aspect but as a gift from God,” said Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, a spokesman for the country’s Catholic bishops, adding that sex should be taught by parents. Archbishop Oscar Cruz said that instead of sex, boys should be taught how to respect girls and women while girls should be taught self defense and how to avoid becoming victims of sexual abuse.
Valisno said that her department was willing to discuss the matter with the Catholic Church, which counts over 80 percent of the population as followers. This is one of the issues that the temporal and the government face. The Church leaders has even called for sacking Valisno after she had launch her campaign of giving free condoms on Valentine’s day as part of the anti HIV and AIDS.
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