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Saturday 13 November 2010

Sex education from next year

The Sun 


KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 11, 2010): Sex education will be taught as part of the curriculum in secondary schools throughout the country from next year.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said today the subject to be called "Social and Reproductive Health Education" would be introduced from January.

The decision to introduce sex education is a move to help reduce unwanted pregnancies, baby dumping, and promiscuity among teenagers.

"This course is not to sensationalise sex or promote promiscuity. The classes starting in January 2011 will give students information on what they are going through in terms of puberty and adolescence so that they don't end up getting pregnant or becoming promiscuous," he told AFP.

"We must fight this problem of unwanted pregnancies, baby dumping, among teenagers and promiscuity," Wee said.

"This can only be done through education, by giving boys and  girls enough information so they can make the right decision," he added.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the government's plan to extend sex education in schools nationwide to address baby dumping.

The announcement came following positive response towards a pilot project which had been implemented in five secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Pahang and Kelantan five years ago.

Muhyiddin who is also education minister said creating an accurate understanding of reproductive health among the young was vital in reducing baby dumping.

He said response to a pilot project using a module created by the Women, Family and Community Development and Education ministries had been encouraging.

Muhyiddin said a comprehensive action plan involving the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations was needed as part of a holistic approach to address baby dumping where newborn babies have been left to die in toilets and on garbage dumps.

Last year, there were 79 cases of baby dumping but as of mid-September this year there had already been about 70, sparking alarm among authorities and in the community.

The nation's first school for pregnant teenagers, an initiative directly  aimed at curbing the rising numbers of abandoned babies, opened  in  Malacca last September .

Last May, the nation's first "baby hatch" centre for rescuing unwanted  newborns was introduced here in Kuala Lumpur.

The centre – modelled on similar services in Germany, Japan and Pakistan – allows mothers to leave their babies anonymously

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