Sex Education by DepEd and CBCP: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Sex education will be pilot-tested by the Department of Education (DepEd) in several schools starting June. This news should have been great. But thanks to CBCP Meddling™, it’s merely good.

The long overdue sex education desired by most Filipinos will reach relatively few — only 80 of the almost 38,000 elementary schools and 79 of the almost 6,000 high schools. That’s a tiny drop in the ocean of students expected this schoolyear — 13.1 million in elementary, 5.6 million in high school. (source)

But if it were up to the CBCP, not a single student would get sex education at all. And we barely avoided this fate — Malacanang recently ordered DepEd to consult the CBCP on sex education. (Yes, seriously.)

But despite the disagreement of the newly appointed sex education consultants, Education Secretary Mona Valisno said the project would push through. She added that “consultations are now set to immediately start after the opening of classes.”

So they’ve so far ignored the CBCP’s protests. But what happens when our education department finally takes the CBCP’s expert advice? Will DepEd suddenly suspend sex education? Will they ensure that all scientific evidence and ethical advice passes the Roman Catholic Church’s standards? Will they encourage natural family planning or abstinence-only sex education?

Whatever happens, I don’t see any good coming out of consulting the CBCP. For starters, a lot of Filipinos are not Catholic. Even those who are don’t necessarily agree with the CBCP’s views on reproductive health — surveys have shown that most Filipinos want sex education in public schools.

And not only is this consultation a violation of our secular constitution, it’s just plain wrong. What kind of educational advice can you expect from an institution that doesn’t want sex education in the first place? Simply this: that sex is only moral when it allows the possibility of procreation by a husband and wife ; and that contraceptives do not work in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

This is most (if not al) of the advice the DepEd will get from the CBCP. Call it unscientific, simplistic — even stupid. But if sex education is to happen at all — if the CBCP is to allow it — this is necessary. One of the main reasons the CBCP politically campaigns against sex education is their assertion that the responsibility belongs not to the schools but to the parents.

But think about it. Where do most Filipino parents get their sex education? Which institution outside of schools obsessively teaches about sexual matters, wielding absolute ethical and scientific (they have studies) authority? The Roman Catholic Church. So the bishops are OK with parents doing the teaching because they’re teaching the parents anyway.

But what if these parents were to teach their children something unCatholic (read: secular and scientific)? What if children were taught at home that homosexual sex and contraceptives are not evil? Would the CBCP still think sex education should be left to the parents then? Of course not.

When the CBCP says it’s against sex ed in schools, what it’s actually saying is this: no one has the right to give sex education — except us. And with their recent appointment as DepEd consultants, they just got their chance. So finally — reluctantly — they will allow it.

Yet whatever the CBCP has done or will do to castrate sex education, our country has taken a step in the right (read: secular and scientific) direction. Whatever happens this year in DepEd’s pilot testing, things can only get better.

So I take it back. This is great news. Still, a part of me is reluctant. The sexual well-being of almost 20 million children and adolescents are being entrusted to an insular institution of bishops and priests. Why does this bother me?

14 comments

  1. "But what if these parents were to teach their children something unCatholic (read: secular and scientific)? What if children were taught at home that homosexual sex and contraceptives are not evil? Would the CBCP still think sex education should be left to the parents then? Of course not."

    That is such an immature thing to say. The Church defends the right of spouses over their children as our Constitution dictates. Whether the parents will teach their children something "unCatholic" or not, that will not change the fact that it is in the parents' right to do so. The only thing that we can all do is to make an effort to educate the parents. It is not an excuse to take away that right from them.

    Article 15, Section 3 of our Constitution states that "The State shall defend the right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood…"

    I have yet to understand why others are so eager in surrendering this right. Is it really out of concern for the children and the society or out of hatred towards the Church?

    • The point of a sex ed program is to give the children an academic, unbiased perspective on human sexuality. If the parents want to say anything contrary what the school teachers, they're more than welcome to do so in the privacy of their home.

      "Is it really out of concern for the children and the society or out of hatred towards the Church?"

      Personally, it's a bit of both. I honestly think that our children deserve better education, and at the same time, I honestly believe that the church has on more than one occassion overstepped its boundaries, and that as a citizen, I have every right to call them out on it.

      And speaking of concern for the families, I'll have you the same thing about the CBCP: Are they really out of concern for the children and the society?

      The fact that they constantly push for an abstinence-only program that has already been categorically disproven and proven be ineffective on more than once occasion leaves me thinking otherwise.

  2. When I was 3 years old, I already experienced sexual urges. My parents and other adults laugh at me when I do. Who saved me from shame? Nobody.

    I don't want the kids to suffer the way I did.

    Teach Sex Ed in kindergarten.

    Besides, its better than what the parents say, "you came from mom's tummy."

  3. Fair enough, but I'm just mentioning it since linking to a credible news source instead of wiki may minimize misunderstandings.

    Not to mention it adds clout to your assertions 🙂

  4. Red, you of all people should know linking to a wiki article isn't exactly the most accurate way of presenting info.

    I'm talking about the last link discussing Catholic Sex Abuse cases. There are tons of far more credible news sites, such as Der Spiegel or BBC, which have links to more comprehensive reports after all 🙂

    Just sayin' – the readership does deserve fresh news 😛

    • I wasn't presenting new information or supporting evidence for anything I said. It was meant to start a new conversation. More of an aside rather than something integral to the argument presented by the post.

      But in any case, Wikipedia is a good enough starting point for anyone who wants to do any kind of research. The problem is when the researcher doesn't check the sources cited, or when they content themselves with using Wikipedia as their only source. But as far as getting started, Wikipedia works well enough.

    • In defense of Fr. Bernas, even if he is a priest, he is still a highly qualified legal expert.

      The man makes a clear distinction between his personal faith and his legal expertise, and he has been careful not to take any sides on the matter of the RH Bill.

      When he did talk about it, he pointed out that he was also against the way the CBCP distorted and demonized its opponents, and resorted to appeals of emotion and shock tactics when they could have handled the problem with less drama, and more reason.

      People like him, I can respect on matters of law, even if he is a man of the frock 🙂

  5. Wow : the sexual dysfunctional male virgins in retirement age, usually wearing fancy women dresses and showing a fondness for little altar boys e.g. the biggest transnational pederast organization on planet (RCC) should advise for the proper sexual conduct in Philippine Sexual Education (SexEd).
    Epics fail.

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