Sexuality Education

Sexuality education (SEd) aims to help our young understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy relationships with the opposite sex and to teach them how to make responsible choices. It is premised on the importance of the heterosexual married family as the basic unit of society, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.

The goals of SEd are to:
i. provide accurate and adequate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity so that pupils are able to make informed decisions;

ii. impart intra- and inter-personal skills of problem-solving, decision-making and effective communication so that pupils are able to build responsible and rewarding relationships; and

iii. inculcate positive values and attitudes of sexuality so that pupils 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 key messages of SEd are:
i. Build healthy futures for yourself, family and society.

ii. Healthy relationships based on love and respect are the foundation for strong families.

iii. Casual sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, STIs/HIV and AIDS which can harm and hurt your loved ones.


You may click here  for more information on MOE’s Sexuality Education.

OVERVIEW OF DUNEARN SECONDARY SCHOOL’S SED PROGRAMME FOR 2009
Sexuality education in schools is taught in both the formal curriculum and co-curricular programmes. These are covered under four main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health and Behaviour, and, Societal Influences.

Formal Curriculum
The curricular subjects in which topics on sexuality are incorporated include
i.  Science
ii. Civics and Moral Education

For more information on the above subjects, you may wish to click here  .

Co-Curricular Programmes
Growing Years (GY) Programme:

i. “The Teenage Years” (Lower Sec) package
ii. “Sense & Sexuality” (Upper Sec) package

The values and attitudes of our youth towards sexuality are increasingly being shaped by their peers, exposure to the media, popular culture and the internet. Adolescence is a complex stage in life as the adolescent attempts to find his/her own identity and often struggles with new social relationships. The period of middle adolescence (generally from 15 – 17 years old) can be a turbulent period for adolescents. The gap between physical and emotional/cognitive maturity may result in a tendency to act on impulse, experiment with various activities (including sexual activities), sometimes without understanding the unpleasant consequences that may arise from such experimentation. The need for peer acceptance can be overwhelmingly strong, and hinder one’s ability to act responsibly.  Given the pressures faced by the middle adolescent from within themselves and from peers, it is important to build a strong sense of self-worth, personal convictions and an understanding of the possible consequences of sexual behaviour.

Through “The Teenage Years” and “Sense & Sexuality”, secondary students will have opportunity to develop a positive self esteem, build their character, expand their understanding and repertoire of skills to deal with various issues related to sexuality, which are of prime concern at this age.

At Dunearn Secondary Secondary School, the following lessons from the GY series will be covered in 2010:

Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) Programme
The Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) is a programme developed by Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education for all Sec 3 students. The programme focusses on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)/HIV education and aims to raise awareness of the modes of transmission of the different STIs/HIV, as well as the modes of protection. Students are taught skills such as decision-making, assertiveness and negotiation in order to say no to sex and negative peer pressure. Abstinence as the best option for teens remains a key message.

At Dunearn Secondary School, the BDB programme will be implemented as follows in 2010:

Topics/Lessons	What pupils will learn:	Time Period
Mass Talk by HPB appointed vendor	- Awareness of the different STIs and HIV/AIDS -Modes of transmission -Modes of protection, specifically the use of condom	Term 2
Class-based Lesson 1:Decision-Making	- Consequences in any decision they make regarding sexual intercourse - Decision-making is a process that can be learnt - It is important to have correct and accurate information to make the the right decisions regarding one's sexual health - How to make decisions that will reduce the risk to their sexual health	Term 3
Class-based Lesson 2: Assertiveness	- What is assertive behaviour? -How can one respond to persuasion assertively?	Term 3
Class-based Lesson 3: Negotiation	- How to negotiate one's way's way out of a negative situation by applying skills learnt from Lesson 2 -Assessing situations to aid the control of impulses in sexual behaviour - Revision of risk reduction for STIs/HIV (learnt earlier in mass lecture).	Term 3

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
i. Parents can opt their children out of the entire sexuality education programme or for individual topics, talks or workshops.

ii. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Growing Years Series need to complete an opt-out form. This form  will be distributed to parents at the start of the year and is also downloadable from the school’s website. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 11 January 2010.
Click here to download the new opt-out form as attached :
1.  GY Series Opt-out Form

iii. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Breaking Down Barriers Programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form  (BDB Opt-out Form) will be distributed to parents prior to the start of the programme and is also downloadable from the school’s website. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 19 May 2010.

iv. Parents can attend the sexuality education programmes by external providers with their children if they wish to. Parents should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.

v. For more information, please contact the school at 65653692  if you would like to discuss or seek clarifications about our school’s sexuality education programme.