Sex education in school needs substance, say students

PETALING JAYA: Increasing the time for reproductive health education may not be enough to stem the tide of underage sexual activity, say students.

Instead, they suggest revamping how the subject is taught in the classroom, to make it more widely understood and factual.

“It should cover not only the physical aspects of sexual and reproductive health, but also delve deeper into the emotional and psychological aspects,” said Kong Yong Sin.

The 15-year-old from SMK Tinggi Kluang, Johor, said currently, Form Three students only spend a chapter or two on sexual and reproductive health.

“This condenses anatomy and physiology, puberty in teenagers, the dangers of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), information about contraception and healthy relationships into a few pages,” he said, adding that there is room to dive deeper into these topics.

“I hope that the increased time allocation will allow for a more in-depth exploration of sexual and reproductive health, and teachers will be able to delve into these subjects in their own way, ensuring that we students have a better grasp,” said Yong Sin.

On Thursday, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government is increasing the amount of class time for reproductive and social health education (PEERS) in schools as a way to address social issues.

The Deputy Prime Minister said certain social problems stemmed from the fact that teenagers, some as young as 13 years old, were engaging in sexual activities.

PEERS education is currently taught at primary and secondary schools for 30 minutes a week.

Ahmad Zahid said poor sexual and reproductive health knowledge among Malaysian teenagers might have left them unaware of the implications of engaging in sexual activity.

Shaima Amira Sham, 16, said increasing the time for the PEERS would allow the youth to be better informed and to make better decisions.

“Dedicating more time to reproductive knowledge and social health education will increase awareness of what could happen while engaging in sexual activities. This could lead to better decisions by students.

“Teachers would also be able to cover a wider range of topics related to sexual health,” said the SMK Convent Kajang student.

Meanwhile, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said there is no need to extend the amount of time for PEERS.

What the Education Ministry should instead do is make teaching and learning so engaging that students have no time to think otherwise, she said, adding that the emphasis should be on science and mathematics in English.

Noor Azimah also said the Communications and Digital Ministry should attempt to eliminate access to pornography by students, who spend considerable time on their mobile phones.

“This is where the source (of the problem) is,” she added.

Agreeing with Noor Azimah, family medicine specialist and Universiti Malaya senior lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Nur Amani Ahmad Tajuddin said there is no point increasing the amount of classroom time if the source is not tackled.

“You have to control the content the children are watching on social media,” said Dr Nur Amani.

She said that it is on social media that children are the most exposed to pornography, adding that they could also be covertly viewing such material while their parents or elder siblings are engrossed in such content.

Being naturally curious, children will continue surfing the Internet for more information or try out the acts for themselves, she added.