Sex education is one of the uncomfortable aspects of life that adults do not want to teach to their children. There are various reasons for that, and some parents may even choose to ignore the importance of sex education! Why is that? Continue reading to find out more!
Why is sex education important?
If your child’s school does not have sex education in its curriculum, then you will need to have these adult conversations with your kids. In fact, regardless of what your kids learn in school, you should still teach your child your own values and beliefs. HIV and AIDS are very real and still have no cure. Sex education is not a sign that the country’s moral or social situation is low. It’s just a necessity to discourage inappropriate behaviours in kids!
Some parents misunderstand the concept of sex education. They wrongly believe that it is only about issues relating to the sexual intercourse. They will be very surprised that this subject also covers social interactions, like:
- Shaking hands;
- Hugging;
- Holding hands;
- Showing appreciation;
- Tolerance.
Also, some parents prefer that their children stay ignorant when it comes to sex. You can find situations like this in some religious societies where sexual relations topic is considered to be a taboo.
Sex education in Nigeria raises one important question – how to teach kids this subject? Different cultures offer different methods of teaching. For instance, Japanese kids start to learn about sexual behavior from the very early age, and parents do not even hide nude magazines from them.
Sex Education at School
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Nigeria is a country where traditional beliefs prevail over the question of sex education. However, it’s still possible and necessary to implement sex education Nigeria in every school. First, they need to understand that sexual education is not all about sexual intercourse. It’s about the protection and socially acceptable behavior of kids.
For instance, what exactly should be thought to elementary and nursery school children? Experts have the following answers:
- Provide information to students about socially acceptable behavior between sexes. For instance, suitable ways of showing affection to somebody.
- Teaching of socially accepted gestures, like handshakes, hugs or holding hands;
- Showing examples of behavior for kids of different genders in various situations;
- Instructing them about the ideals of social and moral etiquette between genders.
As we can clearly see, there is no hint about sexual intercourse. Kids will be taught about general strategies of behavior for different sexes. It’s a quite acceptable topic even in the most religious societies.
However, when it comes to older kids, topics of conversation could be a lot more controversial. Let’s take a look what topics can be covered in secondary schools.
- The teaching of the anatomy of sexes. It’s a simple topic that may be covered even in the biology subject.
- The teaching of ways of showing affection for both sexes.
- Providing information about the socially accepted ways of interacting with the opposite gender.
- Providing information about sexually transmitted diseases and ways both genders can be protected;
- Lesson about sexual intercourse.
The most obvious question that will raise debates in the above-mentioned list is the last one. Sexual pleasure can be seen as a taboo in a lot of cultures. For instance, masturbation which is considered by many religions to be a sin! This is one of the reasons why sex education is such a controversial topic.
Top 3 benefits of sex education
1. It helps to prevent HIV and AIDS.
Sex education is the first line of defense when it comes to fighting HIV and AIDS. Sex education for teenagers is very important as they are the most likely to be victims of these diseases!
2. It teaches socially accepted behavior.
Men and women are different, and they should act differently in certain situations. For instance, both sexes should find the appropriate ways to interact with each other and also understand when to put up boundaries.
3. It teaches about the body structure.
Just imagine a situation where “a female student runs to the principal’s office screaming that she is bleeding out” – what do you think when you read this? The student just got her period and she has no clue what’s happening! It is important for students to be aware of the basics of their body structure. It’s especially needed for teenagers who are entering puberty!
Sex education in Nigeria is one of the most debatable topics. Nevertheless, sex education as a school subject is accepted by many countries in the world. We need to come up with a concept that lets us embrace our values while giving kids the information that they need.
READ ALSO: Issues and challenges in physical and health education in Nigeria
Source: Zenithblog.com
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