Sexuality Education

Name and Constituency of  Member of Parliament

Mr Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marine Parade GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education in light of the sexual permissiveness of teens and the rising number of teenage abortions from 1,279 cases in 2005 to 1,391 cases in 2006, will the Ministry consider revising the "Abstinence-only" message in its sex education classes to include prevention of unintended pregnancies and contraception as well?

Response

            MOE adopts a balanced approach to its Sexuality Education (SE) to help students appreciate the value of healthy relationships, understand the consequences of at-risk sexual behaviour and to equip them with the skills and knowledge to make responsible decisions. 

            Different emphases are applied to students of different age groups to suit their maturity and the challenges they face.  At primary level, family values are emphasised to build a strong foundation.  At secondary and post-secondary levels, greater emphasis is placed on responsible decision-making, skills to manage relationship, use of contraception and preventive measures against STIs/HIV. In addition, for students who are at risk, we counsel them individually.

            MOE constantly reviews its Sexuality Education programmes to ensure that it remains relevant and effective, given the changing trends in society.  An example of a recent initiative is the Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) programme, a joint MOE-HPB project introduced to all Sec 3 students in schools. This programme covers topics such as STIs/HIV, the use of contraceptives and acquisition of skills such as assertiveness and decision making.  The take-up rate for this programme has been very encouraging, with about 80% of secondary schools either having implemented, or in the process of implementing it.  All secondary schools are expected to adopt the programme by mid-2008.

            Teenage pregnancy and abortion are complex issues. In addition to an effective and relevant sexuality education, we believe that stronger family support and community collaboration are crucial in instilling and reinforcing the right social and moral values in our children and we will continue to work with the various stakeholders on this.   

Teaching Institute

Name and Constituency of  Member of Parliament

Mr Gautam Banerjee, Nominated Member

Question

To ask the Minister for Education given that the current and     projected shortage of trained teachers is one of the reasons why international schools operating in Singapore are not able to expand to meet rising applications, whether the Ministry will consider setting up a second teacher training institution which will produce teachers with internationally recognised teaching qualifications.

Response

1          MOE engages the international schools on education and professional matters from time to time.  Based on their feedback, the international schools have been able to recruit internationally teachers with the requisite qualifications to meet their needs.  The feedback from some is that they generally have a good stream of applications for their teaching positions and they do not foresee a shortage of teachers in the next few years. 

2          There is therefore no immediate need to set up a second teacher training institute.  However, if the member is aware of any international school having specific difficulties in teacher recruitment, he can ask the school to approach us or the Ministry of Trade and Industry and we will explore ways to help them.