BREAKING SEXUAL TABOOS

Muslim teachers are unsure about what they should tell students when it comes to sex

Story by ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA

When it comes to teaching young people about sex, teachers across the South are having a bit of trouble knowing what to tell their students. Teachers here say religious beliefs are an obstacle to attempts to introduce sex education into schools across the region.

The comments were made when teachers gathered along with students for a seminar on sex education for teenagers. Teachers said the curriculum was first introduced to schools in the region three years ago.

Sex education has been introduced to 110 schools in 10 southern provinces since the ''Teenpath'' project was launched by the Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (Path) in 2004. The project, which is also active in other parts of the country, aims to equip teenagers with life skills that include sex and relationship issues in modern society.

At one panel discussion, teachers from southern Islamic schools addressed the sensitivity of sex education with regard to religious principles.

''Students today are going into deeper detail. Often they ask teachers about masturbation, what it's like or how to do it,'' said Sunattha Charoenpol, a teacher from Nakhon Si Thammarat. ''And that becomes a debate whether it goes against religious rules or not.''

Aphisit Sentira, from Darul Ma'aref School in Satun, said masturbation is taboo in Islam, but he said it is important to teach his students about what it is.

''It's natural for boys to have sexual urges. Many times it happens naturally as they have wet dreams, and masturbation is a way to cope with their feelings.

''If they don't know how to let go of their emotions, it could be harmful to their health,'' he said.

While some Muslim teachers feel reluctant to talk about it openly, he said he would answer his students' questions if they asked him.

''But while we talk about masturbation, we also need to advise them to control their emotions by avoiding temptations such as pornography,'' he said.

Phawana Wienrawee, a Path representative, said apart from religious beliefs, other factors that hinder sex education programmes include attitudes of parents and teachers who mistakenly think sex education is only about sex and that it's not appropriate for children to learn.

''Some male teachers laughed when we told them we had gone through sex education training,'' a female teacher told the seminar. ''They joked why we had to attend such a course, or didn't we know enough about sex?''

Some parents, said Ms Phawana, were angry when they discovered their children had condoms in their bags. Educating parents is also important to correct their attitudes on sex education, she added.

Another major problem is a lack of commitment from school administrators and policy makers in pushing for sustainability of the project.

''The policy makers may have to send stronger messages to the schools,'' said Ms Phawana, noting that school managements' support of sex education was just lip service as most school administrators still place academic development before life skills.

''We still think a good school is determined by the number of students who can pass the entrance exam with high Onet and Anet scores. It remains unclear what we want more, happy or high-scoring children,'' Ms Phawana said.

That prevailing attitude results in sex education being treated as an aside in other subjects, rather than a class of its own. School administrators should consider setting up an independent body to develop knowledge about sex education and be responsible for project management at all levels, she said.

Bangkok Post
Sunday January 28, 2007