Sexuality Education

Policies on Sexuality Education

The policies on sexuality education are:

• All schools to provide sexuality education;
• Adoption of GY programme for all government schools. Independent and faith-based aided schools may have their own programmes;
• Delivery of BDB programme for all Secondary 3 students and JC/CI1 students;
• Parents may opt their children out of the whole or part of the GY and BDB programmes; and
• Schools may tap on relevant expertise and community resources but should adhere to guidelines on the engagement of external agencies.

MOE’s sexuality education programme aims to help students make responsible choices on matters involving sexuality. It recognises that issues of sexuality involve value judgments and that parents are ultimately responsible for the health and moral values of their children. Thus, parents have the prerogative to opt their children out of the entire school sexuality education programme or just individual topics, talks and workshops if they are not comfortable with what is being taught in schools.

Sexuality Education in school is taught in the context of values which our mainstream society believes in. This means encouraging heterosexual married couples to have healthy relationships and to build stable nuclear and extended family units.

MOE does not condone promiscuity, sexual experimentation by teenagers or promote homosexuality. MOE teaches students what homosexuality is, and that homosexual acts are illegal¹. MOE teaches the values held by the majority, whether they are religious or not. Both teachers and external speakers should respect that they are in a position of trust with respect to students and ensure that schools are not used as arenas for advocacy on controversial issues.

MOE teaches contraception to protect youth against diseases and unwanted pregnancy, understanding their repercussions and how to prevent them from a health perspective. This is in addition to teaching teenagers how to say no to sex and promoting abstinence as still the best option for teens.

Footnote

1. On 14 May 2009, DPM Wong commented that the government’s position on the issue of homosexuality was clear, as stated by PM in Oct 2007, and had not changed. He recalled PM’s parliamentary speech which noted that Singapore was basically a conservative society and the conventional heterosexual family was the norm and building block of society. However, the government recognised that homosexuals were a part of society and were entitled to their private lives. DPM Wong also said that society would not reach a consensus on the issue of homosexuality for a very long time to come.. He urged every group, religious or secular, to exercise restraint and show mutual respect and tolerance.