The New Straits Times
by Masami Mustaza
More than 300 Form Four students in five urban and rural schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Pahang had, in the last five years, undergone a pioneer programme called “I am in Control”.
The programme, formulated by the National Population and Family Development Board with the cooperation of the United Nations Population Fund and the Health Ministry, addressed the lack of information on the subject, and planned to inculcate a healthy lifestyle through information on sexual issues.
National Parent-Teacher Association Collaborative Council chairman Professor Datuk Mohamad Ali Hasan urged the Education Ministry to extend the pioneer project to all the s t at e s.
“This is an important measure in preventing a lot of negative issues among youths like abandoning babies, conducting unsafe abortions and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases,” he said.
“The ministry must also decide whether sex education will be taught as a stand-alone subject or as a subject matter extended in the existing curriculum subjects like biology, religion or moral. It must also provide proper resource materials for different age groups.” SMK Seri Hartamas parent-teacher association chairman Salmah Abu Bakar said if sex education was taught in schools, the teens would become more aware of what they could and could not d o.
She said she didn’t support the view by sex education opponents that it would encourage the teens to experiment with sex.
“It’s not like how it was in our time.
Now with the Internet, teens have access to sex materials with or without sex education in schools. There’s nothing to bar them from going on the Internet and some are so adventurous, they’ll try anything they see and not feel scared doing it.
“I’d rather they be taught in schools than for teens to have underage sex not knowing that it’s against the law. We cannot continue to pretend that nothing’s going to happen to our children and that they wo n ’t have sex.” Salmah’s opinion was echoed by Adillah Ahmad Nordin, the PTA chairman of St David’s High School in Malacca.
“The school is, in fact, the best place for us to reach out to the most number of teens on the education of sex. Like it or not, the Internet has made it possible for them to be exposed to negative materials from a young age and as a parent, I’d rather they get information from the right sources than from the Internet or their peers.” She said sex education should not only focus on prevention but cover all aspects, including health and moral issues. Teens should also learn about their rights when it comes to sex and k n ow when and how to say no.
“Parents cannot be so overly protective and feel that it’s too young for their kids to learn about sex. The other day, my son was reading the paper and asked me what li wat (sodomy) meant and why there were reports of babies getting dumped.
They will always be curious if you don’t explain to them.” “We want the government to allow sex education in all schools.” Yesterday, we reported that the number of rape cases involving teenage girls, especially those between the ages of 13 and 15, was on the rise.
According to police statistics, the number of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 being raped was 1,409 in 2007, 1,666 in 2008, and 1,767 last year.
Superintendent Ong Chin Lan of Bukit Aman’s sexual and child abuse investigation division (D11) was reported saying that teens wanted to experience and enjoy sex but many teenage boys were not aware that it was a criminal offence to have sex with an underage girl.
She said that many of the teens had sex on the first date with people they met on the Internet or friends of friends whom they communicated by text messages.
Ong also highlighted the importance of sex education, religious and moral studies.
Those who have sex with teens under 16 can be charged with statutory rape under Section 376 of the Penal Code. Those convicted can be jailed a minimum of five years or a maximum of 30 years, and caned.
by Masami Mustaza
KUALA LUMPUR: Parent-teacher groups are calling for the Education Ministry to buck up and make the decision in implementing sex education in schools across the country.
In August, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had responded positively to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s suggestion to introduce Reproductive and Social Health Education (PKRS) as a core subject in the school curriculum.
Muhyiddin said it was a sound suggestion and that a technical committee comprising officers of the two ministries would meet to discuss the relevant issues, including the best formula to implement the subject if it was introduced in the school curriculum.
In August, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had responded positively to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s suggestion to introduce Reproductive and Social Health Education (PKRS) as a core subject in the school curriculum.
Muhyiddin said it was a sound suggestion and that a technical committee comprising officers of the two ministries would meet to discuss the relevant issues, including the best formula to implement the subject if it was introduced in the school curriculum.
More than 300 Form Four students in five urban and rural schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Pahang had, in the last five years, undergone a pioneer programme called “I am in Control”.
The programme, formulated by the National Population and Family Development Board with the cooperation of the United Nations Population Fund and the Health Ministry, addressed the lack of information on the subject, and planned to inculcate a healthy lifestyle through information on sexual issues.
National Parent-Teacher Association Collaborative Council chairman Professor Datuk Mohamad Ali Hasan urged the Education Ministry to extend the pioneer project to all the s t at e s.
“This is an important measure in preventing a lot of negative issues among youths like abandoning babies, conducting unsafe abortions and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases,” he said.
“The ministry must also decide whether sex education will be taught as a stand-alone subject or as a subject matter extended in the existing curriculum subjects like biology, religion or moral. It must also provide proper resource materials for different age groups.” SMK Seri Hartamas parent-teacher association chairman Salmah Abu Bakar said if sex education was taught in schools, the teens would become more aware of what they could and could not d o.
She said she didn’t support the view by sex education opponents that it would encourage the teens to experiment with sex.
“It’s not like how it was in our time.
Now with the Internet, teens have access to sex materials with or without sex education in schools. There’s nothing to bar them from going on the Internet and some are so adventurous, they’ll try anything they see and not feel scared doing it.
“I’d rather they be taught in schools than for teens to have underage sex not knowing that it’s against the law. We cannot continue to pretend that nothing’s going to happen to our children and that they wo n ’t have sex.” Salmah’s opinion was echoed by Adillah Ahmad Nordin, the PTA chairman of St David’s High School in Malacca.
“The school is, in fact, the best place for us to reach out to the most number of teens on the education of sex. Like it or not, the Internet has made it possible for them to be exposed to negative materials from a young age and as a parent, I’d rather they get information from the right sources than from the Internet or their peers.” She said sex education should not only focus on prevention but cover all aspects, including health and moral issues. Teens should also learn about their rights when it comes to sex and k n ow when and how to say no.
“Parents cannot be so overly protective and feel that it’s too young for their kids to learn about sex. The other day, my son was reading the paper and asked me what li wat (sodomy) meant and why there were reports of babies getting dumped.
They will always be curious if you don’t explain to them.” “We want the government to allow sex education in all schools.” Yesterday, we reported that the number of rape cases involving teenage girls, especially those between the ages of 13 and 15, was on the rise.
According to police statistics, the number of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 being raped was 1,409 in 2007, 1,666 in 2008, and 1,767 last year.
Superintendent Ong Chin Lan of Bukit Aman’s sexual and child abuse investigation division (D11) was reported saying that teens wanted to experience and enjoy sex but many teenage boys were not aware that it was a criminal offence to have sex with an underage girl.
She said that many of the teens had sex on the first date with people they met on the Internet or friends of friends whom they communicated by text messages.
Ong also highlighted the importance of sex education, religious and moral studies.
Those who have sex with teens under 16 can be charged with statutory rape under Section 376 of the Penal Code. Those convicted can be jailed a minimum of five years or a maximum of 30 years, and caned.
No comments:
Post a Comment