Most people say that education begins at home; does this saying also apply to education regarding sex? Does education have to begin at home? What about those families who simply taboo’s the subject of intercourse?

Sex education, as defined by Wikipedia, is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Recently, the Department of Education in the Philippines discussed the need of implementing sex education in our country. But according to an article in The Manila Times Online and Print copy, dated June 22, 2010, DepEd decided to “hold in abeyance” integration of sex education in the basic curriculum due to misunderstandings and debates surfacing,. DepEd, however, will implement the program after they consult the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phillipines (CBCP) and others who obstruct the plan.

The Department of Education’s secretary, Mona Valisno said that DepEd is open to revising contents the sex education modules if such modules go against Christian Values. According to DepEd, the increasing number of teenage pregnancies is truly alarming. Most teenagers who are pregnant are mostly from the lowest class of society. However, the church completely contradicts the plan of actualizing sex education in the Philippines because they firmly believe that education regarding intercourse should be taught at home; parents should take full responsibility of educating their children about this delicate matter. In the same article, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) executive secretary, Lawyer Jo Aurea Imbong explained that sex education violates certain laws such as: the primary right of parents to the development of the moral character of their children, right of families or family associations to participate in planning and implementing policies affecting them, right of spouses to find an institution according to their religious beliefs, sanctity and protection of family life, violation of marriage as an inviolable social institution and as the foundation of the family that merits the protection of the state. According to her, sex education even in developed countries does not even show progress in educating young children on safe sex. She also added that the fact that more contraceptives are aimed at the young, the more pregnancies, abortions, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases will result.

I completely side with the Department of Education; the need for sex education in our country is becoming more and more evident. The way I see it, the Church is completely closing their minds regarding the idea of implementing sex education in our country. Apparently, sex is a huge taboo to them. I agree that parents should take full responsibility in educating their children concerning sex; I firmly believe that it should be talked about at home. Yet, I still side with the Department of Education because I am completely aware that we have such a conservative culture and that most parents chose not to discuss intercourse with their children. What about the great number of homes where sex is a forbidden subject? Where and how can the children living in these homes learn how to properly manage their sexual well-being if they can’t talk about it at home and in school? Indeed, sex is delicate matter which is why we have to face and give importance to these subject; we cannot just ignore it. As previously discussed, Imbong stated that implementing sex education violates the primary right of the parents in their child’s development. Literacy regarding sex is also a part of a child’s development whether the parents want it or not. It is a fact of life. How can they asses the proper development of their children regarding this matter when they only neglect this part of their child’s development? It is also believed that sex education violates the right to sanctity and protection of family life. How can a parent protect his family especially his children if he keeps them oblivious of reality?

We cannot just let young children go out to the real world, assuming that they will somehow figure out how they are going to properly deal with sex. Sex is a relevant matter, we should affront it. Ignorance can never save young children, or anyone for that matter, from getting pregnant or having sexual diseases.