Should sex education be taught in school?

“Mom, Dad, what’s sex?”

Parents will be inevitably bombarded with questions like that from their innocent child who
used to be that little kid in his pram but now, is a grown-up, curious lad and before you know it, will
hit puberty soon. Should sex education be taught in school or should parents be fully responsible in
equipping their child with the ‘sex talk’ when the right time comes just because we live in a
conservative country and thus, speaking about sex would induce a sense of awkwardness among
students and teachers? Even the word ‘sex’ is like a taboo in Malaysia. Given the choice, I personally
would go for the former.

Sex education is the study of human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual
intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities,
abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behaviour. With the introduction of
sex education in schools, students at the early stage of adolescence are exposed to an understanding
of the human reproductive organs, their functions and how babies are made. Sex education also
encourages safe sex among active partners by using protections such as, condoms, spermicide and
contraceptive pills. This can help avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs) like HIV/ AIDS, herpes, syphilis and gonorrhoea. Besides that, sex education emphasizes on
values in which attributes such as self-respect, integrity, responsibility and confidence in oneself and
others are instilled in them.

By introducing sex education to students in schools, they will be mature about themselves.
At the age of 10, where most children will undergo puberty, sex education should be taught in
schools so that they are fully aware of the physical changes that are about to take place in their body
due to the action of hormones. Without sex education, teens at this age cannot help but feel alien to
the changes happening to their body, making them curious to explore these changes. Added to all
this, there is often a desire to indulge in what is forbidden combined with the absence of adequate
wisdom to control these impulses.

An increment in the number of STD and abortion cases throughout these years clearly shows
that sex education should be taught in schools. As mentioned earlier, sex education involves learning
about protected sex that is, sexual activity in which precautions are taken to avoid spreading
sexually transmitted diseases. For example, using a condom during intercourse. By using condoms,
transmission of infection from an affected partner is less likely to occur. In addition to that,
unwanted pregnancies can also be prevented if protection is used.

Why should sex education be taught in schools? As we all know, the number of cases of
sexual crimes has been increasing drastically in every part of the world. Tests have proven that one
in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthdays. Why is that
happening and what can we do about it? Sex education not only looks into teaching us about our
reproductive system or safe sex, but also provides knowledge and awareness to naive individuals on
the danger of sexual predators who often look friendly and trustworthy.
 Besides that, accurate information on sex education can be provided to the young people if
it is taught in schools because when children are curious, they keep looking for answers until they
are satisfied. They tend to be more interested in entertainment or that kind of issue. So what they
do is, they will openly talk about sex with their friends, and they will go to the Internet. However, as
beneficial and efficient the Internet is, not everything in it is accurate. Children are naïve. By
checking the Internet they may fall for the porn websites. Therefore, by introducing sex education in
schools, students are able to obtain accurate and correct facts, without the need to google it on the
Internet.

As sex education should be taught in schools, ways to implement it have to be effective. First
of all, sex education itself should be a subject and not just learning about a small part of it, like the
reproductive system in Biology or values in Moral Studies. There should be a proper syllabus and
exams should be prepared for it, too. That way, students will take matters seriously.

The importance of sex education can be emphasized through awareness campaigns.

Awareness is needed for teachers, parents and students. For the sex education programme to be
effective, support from all three parties is important because teachers have to be confident in
teaching the subject albeit the taboo. Parents, on the other hand, need to support it as they want
their children to be careful and wise when it comes to dealing with sexual related issues whereas
students have to take the subject seriously as it will affect their lives and future. In other words,
effective awareness can help people understand why this subject is important and must be taken
seriously.

Sex education can also be implemented in schools by teaching the students this subject at a
younger age between 10 to 12 years old which is during the period when they face puberty and
enter the stage of adolescence. Sex education taught when a child is around that age helps one
understand and grasp it better. He, too, will have a more matured point of view about sex and
everything in between.

The school should also get help from parents, counsellors and psychologists. Parents, hand
in hand with the school, have to play their role in providing their child with sex education, too.
Besides that, counsellors and psychologists have to be invited by the school to give sex talks and
advice to the students from time to time.

How is sex education useful in the long run for society? It controls the population as
unwanted pregnancies can be avoided with the usage of protections. Not only will abortions and
baby dumping cases reduce, cases of STD like HIV/AIDS will significantly decrease in number as well.
Lesser social problems, like sexual assaults and suicides will occur. In fact, the family unit will be kept
intact. Hence, I agree that sex education should be taught in schools.