Should we be teaching our kids about sex?
School is where children learn most of their critical information and skills, and more often than not, the general public does not have much say over the type of content taught, but is sex education really necessary?
On Damon Beard's Big Debate: Should we be teaching our children about sex? Damon speaks to Warrick Frank, the 12am to 3am weekend presenter and Life Skills teacher.
Sex is a natural part of life, and it happens with or without sex education, so if we refuse to talk about sex, it doesn’t mean it's just going to go away.
According to News24, last Saturday the Department of Basic Education, Unesco, and the Swedish government hosted a high-level policy dialogue on comprehensive sexuality education, attended by delegates from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia, and Sweden.
Read: Is a man having sex with an older woman a rite of passage?
Teaching kids that they have the right to “be in control of what they will and will not do sexually” were just some of the issues on the table.
Approximately 78% of the world’s youth living with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa and only 30% to 60% of young people (between the ages of 15 and 24) have comprehensive knowledge about HIV. These are worrying statistics.
Read: Equal Education threatens to take the KZN Education and Transport departments to court
The underlying reasoning behind educating children more is that many will find themselves engaging in sexual activity sooner than expected, therefore knowing their bodies will prevent abuse and the growing HIV/ AIDS epidemic.
Currently, South African students are taught sexual education during Life Orientation lessons, but these classes are thought to be minimal and below par.
Let’s be honest, young people will have sex and surely by educating them we’re making sure they’re ready for that responsibility and they can protect themselves?
As in any situation, not everyone will always agree or want change.
Say no to sex education to kids. We need to take care of them. Not ruining their childhood innocence. O you agree? pic.twitter.com/4RwL8XSAYL
— Rabi Pirzada (@Rabipirzada) February 4, 2018
However, many are in favour of the proposed changes.
100% with you on having kids early. Abstinence-only sex education (like I had growing up) is a huge impediment to that goal because, surprise!, teenagers like to have sex. And if they don't know what they're doing, they get pregnant at 16 and ruin their lives.
— PatentlyCorrect (@PatentlyCorrect) February 1, 2018
I am a big proponent of early sex education or answering those questions honestly with kids. You have no idea how many adult women think they can’t get pregnate if they fuck standing up! I wish someone had talked to me clearly early on, I could have avoided so many mistakes!!
— Sativa Verte (@SativaVerteXXX) January 30, 2018
So, should young learners see sex education as their right to know, as it is their right to engage?
Do you think sex education at schools is necessary?