KUALA LUMPUR: A more comprehensive sex education syllabus will help students understand the subject better and create more awareness about sexual health and sex-related issues.
In welcoming the move by the government, education bodies, however, feel there is no need to rush, as sex education must first be defined and explained.
Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the government must first look into what they wanted to achieve.
“Do they want to prevent unwanted pregnancies or children out of wedlock? Or, do they want to prevent rape cases? Unfortunately, a lot of programmes and efforts carried out by the government and some quarters to address this issue did not work. The number of sex crimes against children is increasing. There is no solution to it.
“It is not necessary to introduce the sex education syllabus. It can be incorporated into other subjects. It can be a topic for language subjects as well.
“We still don’t know how to go about it. We are not sure about what we want to achieve. We can’t even agree on that. Safe sex needs to be taught to children. It’s not just Islam that advocates no sex before marriage, other religions do it too.
“We have to review the sex education syllabus first. Let’s look at the topics that have been taught. We need to figure out what sex education is all about.”
National Union of Teaching Profession president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said teaching and creating awareness about sex among children were not just the responsibility of teachers.
“Efforts to teach and create awareness about sex do not only come from teachers, but also from parents, the community and others. Parents who are the closest to their children, can teach them the basics,” he told the New Sunday Times.
“The teachers’ role, on the other hand, is to explain it in detail.
“Thus, stakeholders, teachers, parents and the community need to be conversant about the subject. This can enable them to teach and create awareness about sex and other related topics.”
Malacca Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin said the existing sex education syllabus in schools needed to be improved.
“I welcome the government’s plan to create more inclusive sex education in schools. Currently, what we have is too technical and academic, and the content is weak.
“We need one that is more direct and easier to understand. One which can give better information about the human reproductive system, childbirth, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and others. I feel that many young girls are ignorant and not informed about pregnancy.
“However, I hope the government will not rush into implementing it. We do not have enough expertise or qualified teachers and resources. We can implement it when we have these.”