Teaching Sex Educational Subject at School Should Be Done or Not Essay Example

of education can be risky as the content often lacks moral standards and contradicts Muslim values. As a result, instead of being an educational resource, it turns out to be detrimental to society.

The inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum is being acknowledged in Muslim majority countries like Malaysia. However, reports from Malaysian daily newspapers highlight that comprehensive sex education as an independent subject is not given significant attention in primary and secondary schools. Presently, it is only briefly covered within subjects such as physical education, moral studies, biology, and Islamic studies.

Local reviews show that students in Malaysia are lacking the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves from sexual predators and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. This is due to public schools in the country primarily offering basic information on reproduction through biology and other science courses. It should be mentioned that discussing sex is considered a sensitive subject in Malaysia, where unmarried individuals can face penalties for engaging in public displays of affection like hugging or kissing.

In Malaysia, despite the prevailing traditional, conservative, and religious values, teenagers are involved in passionate relationships outside of marriage and engaging in unsafe sexual intercourse. Studies have indicated a notable rise in AIDS cases and HIV infection rates among young individuals, impacting around 100,000 people with HIV infections and roughly 30,000 cases of AIDS. The majority of these instances involve individuals below the age of 30.

The Malaysian Cabinet ministry has given their approval for the inclusion of "reproductive and social health education" in the school curriculum. The Ministries of Education and Women, Family and Community Development

have worked together to develop a detailed set of guidelines consisting of 160 pages. These guidelines address various aspects regarding sexuality including contraception, appropriate physical contact, online predator risks, teenage infatuations, sexual orientation, and HIV/AIDS. This decision is indicative of Malaysia's advancements as a more advanced and urbanized nation.

The Malaysian government is concerned about the impact of various challenges on children and young individuals, including family relationship issues, separations, societal problems, and environmental issues. These challenges pose a significant threat to vulnerable children and teenagers. They include the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS, rising reports of sexual violence and abuse towards children and adolescents, juvenile crimes, and related problems.

To prevent incidents like rape, sexual exploitation of children, and incest, it is crucial for parents to educate their children about sex. However, many parents are hesitant to discuss these topics and are not typically seen as sex educators. To tackle this problem, it is recommended that parents become more comfortable with discussing sex education and support its inclusion in the school curriculum.

In this study, questionnaires were distributed to 211 parents and students in rural areas of Malaysia to evaluate their acceptance of implementing sex education in schools. The collected data were statistically analyzed. Furthermore, a total of 211 respondents from rural areas in Kedah (Malaysia) voluntarily took part in this cross-sectional survey.

The survey had a majority of female respondents, making up approximately 56% of the total. Within this group, about 47.6% were teenagers and students, while 35% were selected randomly. The questionnaire was meticulously created and validated to guarantee clarity and eliminate any confusion in the questions. It started

by asking for background information such as gender, religion, and ethnicity. Later on, the questions focused on participants' views and support for sex education in schools. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect all the data.

In order to maintain utmost privacy during the survey, no discussions or conversations were allowed. Participants were given reassurance that all gathered data would be kept confidential and required permission from everyone involved. The rate of response was determined by comparing the number of questionnaires distributed to the number returned. A 3-point Likert scale was used to measure responses. Furthermore, descriptive statistical techniques like means and frequencies were utilized for comprehensive data descriptions.

Scrutinized data from the survey indicates that nearly 49% of participants agree that implementing sex education in schools will effectively reduce social problems and decrease the rates of HIV and AIDS affected individuals in Malaysia.

About 48% of participants believe that including sex education in schools can tackle social problems. An analysis using a sample t-Test reveals no significant differences in the opinions of respondents, suggesting widespread support for incorporating sex education into the curriculum. Furthermore, there are no noteworthy variations in average scores among students, female respondents, and random samples. The mean score for students is 1.65 ± 0.634, while for female respondents it is 1.74 ± 1.129.

There is a range of opinions on the appropriate age for sexual education. About 74% of respondents suggest teaching it to higher secondary school students, while 48% believe it should be introduced in junior secondary schools. Furthermore, 18.4% support the idea of starting sex education at an early primary school level. The

study also reveals variations in views between female and student respondents regarding the optimal age for receiving sexual information in school.

The P-value for the sample t-Test on gender and appropriate age of introducing sex education at the primary school level is not significant. However, there is a significant P-value for the junior secondary school level and a non-significant P-value for the higher secondary school level. Therefore, we can conclude that there is a slight difference in agreement regarding teaching the sex education section in junior secondary school. Furthermore, male participants show more agreement on this matter compared to female participants.

The respondents' feedback and response on how to implement this sex education module further evaluates their acceptance of the recommended issue. The findings indicate that around 78% of respondents support integrating this unit into the religious education subject, whereas only 22% believe it should be a separate subject.

The statistical analysis indicates that there are no significant differences in the means between genders in this section of religious education. The mean value for males is 1.41 ±0.73 and for females is 1.31 ±0.61. Likewise, the mean value for amalgamation with the existing religious course is 1.81±0.57, while running it as a separate module yields a mean value of 1.80±0.58. These values are likely to be similar because both groups share the same ethical values and cultural environments.

According to the independent t-Test sampling, the P-value is not significant for either suggestion: merging it with the existing religious course or implementing it as a new curriculum

The statistical analysis indicates that both module deliveries are acceptable. However, the preference is to include it as

a chapter in moral studies or religious education subjects. This conclusion is derived from the participants' agreement on introducing sex education during their schooling period.

Approximately 44% of participants are in agreement with this topic, whereas 40% do not agree and the remaining 16% are uncertain. The analysis of the findings reveals that there are statistical differences between groups. On average, females scored 1.87±1.34, while males scored 1.72±1.08. According to the Independent Sample t-Test, the P-value is not significant, indicating that respondents believe sex education should be included in school curricula, either as a standalone module or integrated with religious education.

4. The results of the study show that respondents are generally supportive of sex education in Malaysia. They believe that this type of education is vital for preventing or decreasing instances of sexual misconduct among teenagers in the country. Respondents also highlight that the lack of accessible information on reproductive and sexual health is the primary cause behind these unwanted cases, as discussing sex remains a taboo topic within Malaysian society. This may explain why teenagers have not received any formal or informal education on sex, as they lack proper avenues to seek guidance.

An unpublished study found that the majority of sexually active teenagers had sex without learning about contraception. The study showed that 47% of males and 34% of females did not receive this education. Furthermore, a few years ago, one in four adolescents only learned about self-restraint rather than birth control. In addition to that, while most teenagers aged 13 to 19 were educated about sexually transmitted diseases, one-third of them did not learn about contraception.