MOE’s Sexuality Education in Schools
1. Sexuality education (SEd) aims to help our young understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy relationships with the opposite sex and to teach them how to make responsible choices. It is premised on the importance of the heterosexual married family as the basic unit of society, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.
2. The goals of SEd are to:
i. provide accurate and adequate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity so that pupils are able to make informed decisions;
ii. impart intra- and inter-personal skills of problem-solving, decision-making and effective communication so that pupils are able to build responsible and rewarding relationships; and
iii. inculcate positive values and attitudes of sexuality so that pupils develop a respect for themselves and others as sexual beings, in line with the national value of the family as the basic unit of society.
3. The key messages of SEd are:
i. Build healthy futures for yourself, family and society.
ii. Healthy relationships based on love and respect are the foundation for strong families.
iii. Casual sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, STIs/HIV and AIDS which can harm and hurt your loved ones.
You may click here for more information on MOE’s Sexuality Education.
Overview of SEd Programme for 2010 in School of Science and Technology, Singapore
4. Sexuality education in schools is taught in both the formal curriculum and co-curricular programmes. These are covered under four main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health and Behaviour, and, Societal Influences.
Formal Curriculum
5. The curricular subjects in which topics on sexuality are incorporated include
Co-Curricular Programmes
Growing Years (GY) Programme:
- “The Teenage Years” (Lower Sec) package
- “Sense & Sexuality” (Upper Sec) package
6. The values and attitudes of our youth towards sexuality are increasingly being shaped by their peers, exposure to the media, popular culture and the internet. Adolescence is a complex stage in life as the adolescent attempts to find his/her own identity and often struggles with new social relationships. The period of middle adolescence (generally from 15 – 17 years old) can be a turbulent period for adolescents. The gap between physical and emotional/cognitive maturity may result in a tendency to act on impulse, experiment with various activities (including sexual activities), sometimes without understanding the unpleasant consequences that may arise from such experimentation. The need for peer acceptance can be overwhelmingly strong, and hinder one’s ability to act responsibly. Given the pressures faced by the middle adolescent from within themselves and from peers, it is important to build a strong sense of self-worth, personal convictions and an understanding of the possible consequences of sexual behaviour.
7. Through “The Teenage Years” and “Sense & Sexuality”, secondary students will have opportunity to develop a positive self esteem, build their character, expand their understanding and repertoire of skills to deal with various issues related to sexuality, which are of prime concern at this age.
At School of Science and Technology, Singapore, the following lessons from the GY series will be covered in 2010:
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S/n
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Key Understanding
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1
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Students will understand that heterosexual married family is the basic unit of society.
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2
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Students will respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities.
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3
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Students will understand that respect and responsibility are central for self-management and healthy relationships.
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Target
Levels
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Topics/Lessons
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What pupils will learn:
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Time Period
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Sec 1
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Body Image
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- Understand the factors that affect one’s self-esteem.
- Appreciate appropriate dressing and be aware that one’s dressing can be interpreted differently by various people
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Term 2
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Sec 1
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Sexual Identity
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- Respect one’s sexual identity and that of the opposite sex without prejudice.
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Term 3
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Sec 1
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Healthy Relationship
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- Understand that the underlying value for healthy relationship is respect.
- Understand the importance of socializing and friendship in a community.
- Explore the importance of choosing the right peers as friends (doing the right thing).
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Term 4
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INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
- Parents can opt their children out of the entire sexuality education programme or for individual topics, talks or workshops.
- Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Growing Years (GY) Series need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be distributed to parents at the start of Term 2 and is also downloadable from the school’s website. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 5 April 2010.
For more information, please contact the school at 65717200 if you would like to discuss or seek clarifications about our school’s sexuality education programme.
TALK ON SEXUALITY EDUCATION
SST has engaged aLife Limited to conduct a talk on sexuality education to students on 17 and 24 May for males and females respectively. Through the talk,
1. Students will learn that human development is characterized by the interrelationship between physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth.
2. Students will gain a better understanding of puberty and how to cope with the physical and emotional changes.
3. Students will gain a better understanding of their personal body image and their link to self-esteem.
For more details of the programme, parents may wish to refer to the attached document - Summary of Programme by aLife.
Parents' Opt Out Form (Of Birds & Bees)
Printable version
