Sexuality Education
MOE's sexuality education programme is comprehensive and focuses on the holistic development of the individual as a sexual being which includes the cognitive, social, emotional, physical and moral dimensions of sexuality. The aim of sexuality education in school is to equip pupils with knowledge and skills to make responsible value-based decisions on sexuality matters. It is premised on the importance of the family, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues. The key message is: "Family is the basic unit of society; love and respect others as you love and respect yourself." Thus the goals of sexuality education are three-fold:
- To provide accurate knowledge about human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity so that pupils would be able to make carefully considered and informed decisions on sexuality matters;
- To impart intra- and inter-personal skills of problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and relationship-building, so that students are able to establish responsible and rewarding relationships; and
- To inculcate positive values and attitudes so that students develop a respect for themselves and others as sexual beings, in line with the national value of the family as the basic unit of society.
The Framework for Sexuality Education was developed and disseminated to all schools in 2000, setting out the goals, main themes and principles for the design and delivery of sexuality education in schools. It advises schools that a well-balanced sexuality education programme is delivered in a developmental and spiral manner according to the needs of students at different levels. At each level, four main themes should be covered, namely, human development, interpersonal relationships, sexual health and behaviour, and, society and culture.
The Framework further articulates six basic principles for sexuality education for our schools, which are:
- Parents bear the main responsibility for sexuality education for their children;
- Sexuality education is premised on the importance of the family as the basic unit of society;
- The teaching of acts are integrated with the teaching of values;
- Pupils are taught to understand and respect the attitudes, values and beliefs regarding sexuality propagated by other communities;
- Specially selected teachers are trained to deliver sexuality education; and
- Relevant resources in the community are brought in to complement school resources for sexuality education.
Sexuality education in schools is implemented using a cross-curricular and co-curricular approach. Topics on sexuality matters are covered in curricular subjects such as Health Education in the upper primary levels, Science, and Civics and Moral Education in the secondary and JC levels. Safe sex practices, such as the use of contraception and information on sexually transmitted diseases, are taught in Lower Secondary Science, which is an examinable subject for all students. It is fitting to position these topics with science as it is related to health issues.
Complementing the curricular programme is the co-curricular package called the Growing Years series. It is developmental in nature, spanning the upper primary, lower secondary, upper secondary to post-secondary levels. Feedback from key stakeholders were gathered and incorporated in the development of the materials at every stage. The stakeholders, who represent the different religious and racial groups, include parents, community representatives, medical practitioners, social workers, youth workers, psychologists, legal professionals, students and teachers.
The Growing Years series addresses the subject of human sexuality from a holistic perspective, involving the intellectual, emotional, social, physical and ethical aspects of sexuality. These are covered under four main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health and Behaviour, and, Society and Culture. Topics covered include the understanding gender identity, building rewarding and responsible relationships, consequences of teenage sexual activity and pregnancies (including abortion), masturbation, pornography, homosexuality, dating and going steady, cohabitation and marriage, and influence of the media. Abstinence is presented and promoted as it provides teenagers with the highest level of protection, being 100% safe against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. As the Growing Years series is value-based, parents are given the choice to opt their children out of the programme if they so desire. The opt-out rate by parents has been very low, at less than 1%.
Schools are further encouraged to augment school resources by tapping on experts in the community, such as the Health Promotion Board (HPB) of Ministry of Health.
For further information, contact the Guidance Branch, Education Programmes Division, Ministry of Education.
Information Brochures for Parents
Information brochure for parents that explains the aims and content of the The Growing Years series, as well as the involvement of parents in the Sexuality Education programme is available for schools' use.
The brochures for parents to download are available in 4 languages: