The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday expressed belief that grade school to elementary students should be taught and be informed on the subject of avoiding teenage pregnancy.
Director Yolanda Quijano, of Bureau of Elementary Education (BEED), said sex awareness or reproductive health is actually integrated in different subjects under the current elementary curriculum.
She, however, stressed that the focus of the information is more on hygiene, body function and assumption during the child's physical change or the so-called puberty stage while the reproductive health system, value formation and population education are discussed in Science and Health and Social Science and family education subjects, respectively.
Quijano admitted that in 2005, DepEd came out with a module that extensively dealt on teaching reproductive health among elementary students and identified a pilot school where it could be initially taught and implemented.
However, DepEd stopped the undertaking when the influential Catholic Church and other religious groups raised a howl and prevented its further implementation.
She said
Malacanang recalled the module which is now now under evaluation of Presidential Head on Value Formation for proper disposition.
Quijano expressed belief that it is about time that 'sex 'sex education' should be taught in the higher elementary level so students will be informed and educated about the matter. She, however, stressed that such is her personal view and not of the DepEd.
Teachers' call to make sex-education lessons accessible to elementary pupils supports a provision in House Bill 5043 or the Reproductive Health Bill, authored by Rep. Edsel Lagman, to teach lessons about sex education from Grade 5 to fourth year high school. - PNA
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