'Don't incorporate sex education into school curriculum'

'Don't incorporate sex education into school curriculum'

JAKARTA (JP): Noted psychologist Yaumil Agoes Achir spoke out against a colleague's recent suggestion that sex education be incorporated into the school curriculum.

Antara quoted the professor and former dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Psychology as saying in Pekanbaru, Riau, yesterday that it would be sufficient if sex education was taught at home.

Besides, "I don't even understand the true definition of sex education, or what kind of course materials should be used in schools," said the assistant to Minister of Population Haryono Suyono.

Yaumil expressed concern that, unless a clearer definition is given and better concepts are introduced, sex education should not be taught at schools on account of its potentially negative impact on students.

"Too many people are still confused as to what experts mean about sex education because there are simply no clear definitions," she said. "As long as there is still confusion, people are bound to react negatively to the proposal.

"There would be more people who disagree with it," she said.

She was commenting a recent suggestion made by Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, also a professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Indonesia, that sex education be included in the school curriculum.

Sarlito, an expert on social psychology and activist in organizations which help teens in trouble, believes that frank discussion about sex would help children to deal with the issues,

Yaumil said yesterday that there are people who claim that sex education is needed to help save teenagers from fatal diseases such as Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

"If that's the aim, then we don't need to include sex education in the school curriculum at all," she said. "Instead, we could provide students with education on healthy reproduction and family life."

She said sex education should be taught at home by parents, and based on moral and religious teachings. "This particular education is the responsibility of parents, not teachers," she said.

Besides, "it is more in the parents' interests -- rather than the teachers' -- to provide children with information on sex", she said.

"It's the parents who should provide children at an early age with that information, laced with religious and cultural values," she said. (swe)