Boholanos approve of the integration of sex education into schools' basic curricula as a preclusion measure for early pregnancy.
In a radio-survey conducted yesterday over radio station DYRD's "Radyo Merkado", majority of the respondents agreed to the inclusion of sex education in teachers' lesson plans in the upcoming academic year.
A remarkable 63 percent approve of the Department of Education's (DepEd) long-proposed plan, while 37 percent disagree.
Those who agreed said schools will be the right venue to teach the young regarding the basic things they should know on sex education. "An educated youth on sex would know his obligations and responsibilities toward sex," a caller said citing that it is necessary to make them aware of things in the proper perspective.
The DepEd ruling said sex education will now be included in Grades 5 and 6 curricula in some 150 "pilot areas" nationwide, 80 elementary schools and 79 high schools. The program will be called as sex education or "Adolescent Reproductive Health.
The move is vehemently blocked by the religious sector, particularly by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), due to worries that the lessons may not be age-appropriate.
Catholic schools also oppose such implementation.
Meanwhile, some of the respondents who approve of the plan suggested that the title "Sex Education" be replaced so as to prevent it from being construed literally. A CBCP official said that sex education should be taught by parents and if otherwise it should start in college not in high school and elementary.
Fr. Conegundo Garganta also a member of CBCP said that the child's level of maturity should be considered and that those 17 and above are more prepared for such sensitive topic.
But though having drawn flak from the church, the program would be tested in 80 public elementary and 79 high schools, starting with grade five pupils aged 11-12 but it would not be including information about artificial contraceptives, which is strongly opposed by the bishops.
The testing of the Adolescent Reproductive Health program will be integrated in regular subjects including Science and Health, English and Physical Education. - Bohol Chronicle
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