Dunearn Secondary School - Sexuality Education

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Sexuality Education

Published on Tuesday, 15 February 2011

DUNEARN SECONDARY SCHOOL

MOE Sexuality Education in Schools

1. Sexuality Education (SEd) in schools is about enabling students to understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy and rewarding relationships including those with members of the opposite sex, and make wise, informed and responsible decisions on sexuality matters.It is premised on the importance of the heterosexual married couple forming a nuclear family as the basic unit of society, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.

2. The goals of Sexuality Education are to:

To help students make wise, responsible and informed decisions through the provision of accurate, current and age-appropriate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity;
To help students know themselves and build healthy and rewarding relationships through the acquisition of social and emotional skills of self-awareness, management of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, development of empathy for others, possession of effective communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills; and
To help students develop a moral compass, respect for themselves and for others as sexual beings, premised on the heterosexual married couple forming a nuclear family as the basic unit of society, through the inculcation of positive mainstream values and attitudes about sexuality.

3. The key messages of Sexuality Education are:

Love and respect yourself as you love and respect others;
Build positive relationships based on love and respect (which are the foundation for strong families);
Make responsible decisions for yourself, your family and society; and
Abstinence before marriage is the best protection against STIs/HIV and unwanted pregnancies. Casual sex can harm and hurt you and your loved ones.

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

Overview of Dunearn Secondary School’s SEd Programme for 2012

4. Sexuality Education is delivered in a holistic manner through the school curriculum. The content for Sexuality Education is grouped into five main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health, Sexual Behaviour, and, Culture, Society and Law.

5. The subjects that incorporate topics on sexuality include:

Growing Years (GY) Programme:

“The Teenage Years” (Lower Sec) Teaching & Learning resource package
“Sense & Sexuality” (Upper Sec) Teaching & Learning resource package

6. The values and attitudes of our youth towards sexuality are increasingly 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 conviction and an understanding of the possible consequences of sexual behaviour.

7. Through “The Teenage Years” and “Sense & Sexuality” packages, secondary students will have the opportunity to develop a positive self-esteem, develop their character, and 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 School, the following lessons from the Growing Years Programme will be taught in 2012:

Target Levels	Topics/Lessons	What Pupils Will Learn:	Time Period
Sec 1	Healthy Relationships with the Opposite Sex	Respect is the underlying value for a healthy relationship Maintain healthy relationships with the opposite sex	Term 2
	Love – Crushes and Love	Distinguish the various types of love Differentiate infatuation, love and sexual desire Recognize and demonstrate the importance of cultivating healthy relationships Understand constructive ways of expressing love
	Going Steady – Correct Age	Recognize and demonstrate the importance of cultivating healthy relationship Give reasons why they should not go steady a young age
	Temptation	Recognize sources of temptation Take action to avoid becoming sexually tempted
	Teenage Pregnancy – Sexual Abstinence	Understand the reasons for premarital sex Understand the value of sexual abstinence Know how to refrain from having a sexual relationship
Sec 2	Going Steady – Peer Pressure	Make sound or informed judgement on the influence of friends on their value system	Term 2
	Pornography	Identify pornography and understand what it is and does Understand that possession and distribution of pornography is illegal
	Effects of Pornography	Explain why teenagers read and/or watch pornographic materials Explain the negative effects of pornography
	Teenage Pregnancy – Choices / Consequences	Examine possible options in the decision-making process Understand that every option is not a private decision, but has consequences for both parties and families Examine the physiological, psychological and social impact of adolescent pregnancy
	Public Display of Affection	Recognize that certain public displays of affection are not considered appropriate behaviour in our society
Sec 3	REACH for a Rewarding Relationship	Identify the essential elements for building healthy relationships: Respect, Empathy, Acceptance, Care and Honesty (REACH) Suggest strategies for building healthy relationships Assess if the relationships they are involved in are healthy or unhealthy Recognise the harmful effects of continuing in unhealthy relationships and the need to end unhealthy relationships	Term 2
	Single Dating – Should I Start?	List the advantages of group dating/activities as opposed to single dating for their age group Identify situations that expose them to the temptations of sexual intimacy Suggest healthy and fun dating activities that do not involve sexual activity Recognise the supportive role of the family/parents in the teenagers’ activities and relationships
	Going Steady – Should I Wait?	Realise what it means to go steady Identify some consequences of rushing into going steady State some benefits of waiting to go steady
	Must Break Ups Lead to Break Downs?	Explain the process of grief and loss that people experience when a relationship breaks down Recognise that they can actually emerge a stronger person after a break up Identify healthy ways of dealing with break ups
Sec 4	Is Sex Really Touch and Go?	Reflect on the short- and long-term effects of sexual intimacy on each of the 5 dimensions of a person Recognize the progressive nature of actions / behaviours that lead to sexual arousal and intercourse Recognize that involvement in teenage sexual activity can prevent them from reaching their future goals Set personal boundaries for their sexual behaviour	Term 2
	Am I Saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to Sex?	Recognise that there are different ways of inviting sexual intimacy Assess if the dressing, speech, actions and choice of venues are inviting sexual intimacy Reject social pressures to be involved in sexual activities Suggest ways to develop intimacy in relationships without resorting to sexual activities
	Of Pop Stars and Beauty Ads	Recognize that the messages in the media often have sexual connotations Recognize that they are subject to influence from the media in very subtle ways Reject the messages that promote adolescent and casual sexual activity
Sec 5	Happily Ever After?	Identify the values and characteristics they would like in their marriage partner Recognise the dangers and pitfalls in a marital relationships Recognise that commitment is a necessary ingredient for success in marriage	Term 2
	Friends First, Friends Forever	Reflect on what they have learnt in the previous lessons Identify situations that expose them to the temptations of sexual intimacy Identify three viewpoints that they have changed after what they have learnt from the lessons

eTeens Programme:

8. eTeens is a programme developed by Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, for Secondary 3 students. The programme was introduced to secondary schools in 2007 as the Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) programme, to provide students with accurate information on STIs, HIV and protection from a health perspective. eTeens is conducted in two segments – a mass talk segment and a class-based programme.

9. Students are taught skills such as decision-making, assertiveness and negotiation to say “no” to sex and negative peer pressure. They also learn that the impact of STIs/HIV extends beyond themselves and involves their family. Abstinence and upholding family values are the key messages. The desired outcome of the eTeens programme is that students are empowered to make wise, informed and sensible decisions.

At Dunearn Secondary School, the eTeens programme will be implemented as follows in 2012:

Topics/Lessons	Programme Learning Objectives	Time Period
Mass Talk by HPB appointed vendor	Awareness of the different STIs and HIV/AIDS Modes of transmission Modes of protection, specifically on how the condom is used Consequences and impact of STIs/HIV	Term 2
Class-based Lesson 1: Decision-Making	Understand there are consequences in any decision one makes regarding sexual intercourse Realise that decision-making is a process that can be learnt Understand that one needs correct and accurate information to make the right decisions regarding one’s sexual health Learn to make decisions that will reduce the risk to their sexual health.	Term 3
Class-based Lesson 2: Assertiveness	Understand what assertive behaviour is Practise responding to persuasion assertively	Term 3
Class-based Lesson 3: Negotiation	Practise negotiating one’s way out of a negative situation by applying skills learnt from Lesson 2 Learn risk reduction for STIs/HIV and assess situations to aid the control of impulses in sexual behaviour	Term 3

Information for Parents

10. Parents may opt their children out of Growing Years, eTeens and/or sexuality education programmes by external providers.

11. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Growing Years (GY) programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be distributed to parents at the start of the year and is also downloadable here. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 9 January 2012.

12. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the eTeens programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be distributed to parents prior to the start of the programme and is also downloadable here. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 17 May 2012.

13. Parents may wish to attend the school sexuality education programmes with their children. Parents should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.

14. Parents can contact the school at 65653692 for discussion or to seek clarification about the school’s sexuality education programme.

Sexuality Education

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