Illustration by EUGENE CUBILLO

If there is one thing that will make any parent squirm, it would probably be “The Talk.” But discussing the birds and the bees, however difficult it may be, is a task that parents should do, and should do well, considering the rising number of teenage pregnancies and the influence of various media including the Internet. Now, there is a move by the Department of Education (DepEd) to introduce Sex Education to the grade school and high school curriculum. This means that teachers get to give “The Talk” too.

DepEd’s plan has sparked discussions, debates, and protests among parents, government agencies, non-government agencies, and even the Catholic Church. We asked a dozen moms to give us their two cents’ worth about this controversial issue. Opinions are mixed. Some wanted to wait until high school while others felt that six-graders can already take it. There are some who are worried about how teachers will treat the subject. Surprisingly though, all of those interviewed, save one, agreed that integrating sex education into the school curriculum is a pretty good idea.

Wait until high school

“I am not in favor of including sex education in the curriculum for grade school.  The minds of the kids in grade school are still pure and innocent for them to develop interest in sex education.  By starting the kids in grade school, they will not properly appreciate its importance and relevance.  They are not yet mature - emotionally, physically, and sexually - to deal with the subject. The ideal age for them to develop interest in sex and sex education would be in the adolescent age, when they are in high school.  As their bodies develop physically, the sexual awareness also grows.  By educating them about sex at this age, they would be better equipped to face potential problems such as sexual attraction toward the opposite sex and protection.”

–Yvet P. Gutilban, Cavite, bank employee, mom to 11 and 13 year old kids

Train the trainers

“Sex education, in my opinion, should be made compulsory in the school -- but it should start only at the age of about 10 and not as early as the age of five, as it was proposed, as children are still unable to read and write properly. Sex education should be taught in a proper manner by trained sex educators in order to prevent any unwanted incidents. If there are no sufficient trainers, this curriculum should not be started as it might only make the situation worse.”

–Vivian G. Abejero, Parañaque, stay-at-home mom to three boys

Parents should talk too

“At grade four, my daughter already has a classmate who started having her period. She is now very curious about the topic. I am taking this opportunity to start talking to her about her body and the changes that she, too, will undergo soon, especially since I noticed that she has started showing signs of puberty, such as getting pimples. I think that grade five or six would be the right time to broach the topic, but then there should be a follow- through by the parent. I would also like to stress that the one handling the sex education topic should be knowledgeable about it. That way, they would know how to explain it very well.”   

– Ailyn Perdito-de la Cruz, Muntinlupa City, stay-at-home mom to two girls

It is all in the delivery

“Teaching sex education in school is important, and it should be delivered in a professional and mature way. Children tend to ask questions, and I believe that this will inculcate in their minds and let them realize that sex is a responsibility and a commitment. Such discussions will also keep them safe from possible harm and the trauma if they are caught unaware in this dilemma.”

–Joy Daileg, Taguig, teacher, mom to two boys

More information, no explanation

“I am not in favor of this, because we feel that sex education in schools lacks the backing of values formation. From what we’ve seen, they are all just information and not much on explanation. We fear that this info might just lead to curiosity and exploration. Sex ed must be done with careful supervision, to which we feel, that only parents can do. Also, we think that it is much too early to discuss sex ed in grade school because not all kids are exposed to the concept already. It might pre-empt the concept and can just give a false interpretation of the idea.”

–Jojo Pinzon, Pink Suitcase Travel and Tours, mom to two children

An integrated approach

“I am in favor of having sex education taught in schools.  The way I understand it, the modules are integrated with different subjects like Social Studies, Science, Math and other subjects so I don’t see any problems there.  I’m sure that these modules are well-researched and are made to be age-appropriate as well.  At this day and age, there are many sources of information that our kids can access and I would rather that they learn the right lessons from the right people. Parents should also take an active role especially when the kids become curious and start asking questions.”

–April Rose Lina-Arboleda, Parañaque City, housewife, mom to seven-year-old daughter and three-year-old son

By the Bible

“I myself am still at a loss as to how to explain sex to my kids. So I think that it is ok for teachers to introduce the topic, even at grade school. At least, teachers would ideally have the training on the subject. I have this fear that I would not be able to explain it properly.

"I hope though that there would be no malice in the classroom environment, and that it would be taught in the context of Christian Living, where sex is sacred and done after marriage and not in a scientific mode, where procreation is simply a need that should be fulfilled.”    

–Ria Mauleon D’Asis, Quezon City, bank employee, mom to two grade school kids and a year-old baby

Parents first

“Ayaw ko na bata pa lang natututo na ng kalaswaan. With high school students, where they start having crushes, pwede na siguro. Then, when they do teach it, picture pa lang ng parts of the body, not the bigger topics. Parents talaga muna dapat, like with my daughter who has started having her period, kinakausap ko na siya, na hindi na siya pwede lumapit sa lalaki, and pag may napapanood sila sa TV, I tell her na huwag ito gayahin.”

–Sylvia Baliton, Taguig, barangay health worker, mom to a 12-year-old daughter

Kids today are different

“Actually, gusto ko iyon, but for high school students. Although napaka-advance na 'yong way of thinking ng mga bata ngayon, they are still not mature enough to handle this kind of information. They are already curious, and would even laugh when they watch kissing scenes on TV. What more if we start explaining the concept of sex to them? Instead of simply studying it, they might practice it.

–Lourdes Fabian, Moviestar Magazine editor, Quezon City, mom to three kids

Emphasis on the boys

“I think that the lower grades would not be the ideal time to start talking to kids about sex. Maybe by Grades 4 and up, they can discuss the reproductive parts of the body, but the younger kids nga still forget the parts of the head, for example, so it might just confuse them. I see the need to discuss the responsibilities of sex for high school students, though especially in the provinces where getting married at 18 is normal. I also think that the emphasis on sex ed should be given to boys, because they are the ones who are more inclined to experiment.”

–Mary Ann Baybayan, Laguna, medical representative, mom to a six-year-old