G
General Veers
Guest
Saturday October 2, 2010
Sex education to go national
By DHARMENDER SINGH and TAN EE LOO
[email protected]<object height="385" width="480">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gUQJsRG4tOE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></object>
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the Government has identified sex education for school students as one of the measures to be taken to address the problem of baby dumping.
PUTRAJAYA: The Government will extend sex education in schools nationwide to address baby dumping, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The Deputy Prime Minister said creating an accurate understanding of reproductive health among the young was vital in reducing baby dumping. He said response to a pilot project using a module created by the Women, Family and Community Development and Education ministries had been encouraging.
“We are giving due attention to sex education because we believe it is one of the methods we can adopt to raise awareness among schoolchildren. We have set up a technical committee to look at the most suitable approach to use in extending the pilot project nationwide,” he told a press conference after chairing the National Social Council meeting.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the council also agreed that a comprehensive action plan involving the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations was needed as part of a holistic approach to address baby dumping. The announcement came following positive response towards a pilot project which had been implemented in five secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Pahang and Kelantan five years ago.
Called “I am in control’’, the pioneer programme aimed at providing knowledge and creating awareness on healthy lifestyles, sexuality, pregnancy prevention, unsafe abortions, abandoned babies and sexually-transmitted disease. More than 300 Form Four students in the five urban and rural schools have already undergone the pioneer sex education programme.
Developed by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) with the United Nations Population Fund and the Health Ministry, it was introduced in the schools as part of co-curricular activities. Muhyiddin also announced the setting up of an intervention and rehabilitation centre for the homeless in Kuala Lumpur by the end of November to provide temporary housing for up to 76 occupants.
