LYCEUM-NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Dagupan City

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for GEC-Engl 1
(Communication Arts)

by
Bryan Joe M. Cabugao, BSA1-1
James Russell P. Manuel, BSA1-1
October 2008
 Acknowledgments

The researchers would like to thank the following who have helped them
in any

ways not only in writing this research paper, but also in a lot of other things.
First of all,

to the Heavenly Father who have been always there for them. Second, to
their family,

friends who have given them and will continue to give them endless
supports. Third, to

their English instructor. And last but not the least, to their inspirations.

Bryan Joe Cabugao & James Russell Manuel

To Sir Dhilbz
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Title Page i

Acknowledgments ii

Dedication iii

Table of Contents iv

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Library Research 1

Statement of the Problem

1

Importance of the Library Research 2

Scope and Limitations 2

Definition of Terms
2

Chapter 2 DISCUSSION

Importance of Sex Education 4

Sex Education and Schools

5

Advantages of Sex Education in Schools

5

Disadvantages of Sex Education in Schools 6

Parents versus School 7

Chapter 3 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary 8
 Conclusions
8

Recommendations
8

Parenthetical Citations 10

Bibliography 11
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Library Research

Sex education is very important especially to younger people. It does not

only teach

about sex intimacy but also enlightens them about reproductive systems,
birth control,

sexually transmitted diseases and more related things.

It may absolutely be taught by parents but it may also be taught by

schools. In this

research paper, the reader will not only know more about the advantages
and

disadvantages of sex education in schools but also why sex education is

better and not

better be taught in schools rather than by parents.

Statement of the Problem

The research paper’s main purpose is to know about the advantages and

disadvantages of sex education in schools but it was also done to answer the
following

questions:

1. Why is learning all about sex education in school better and not better
than
 learning from parents?

2. Aside from parents, why should schools also teach young people about
sex

education?

Cabugao & Manuel 2

Importance of the Library Research

The primary importance of the library research is to let people know the
advantages

and disadvantages of sex education in schools. It is very important especially

to the

people who contributed a lot in terms of education and also for parents to let
them

know what schools can do and teach to their children in terms of sexuality
education.

Scopes and Limitations

The primary topics that will be included in this research paper are all
about the

advantages and disadvantages of sex education in schools, the importance of

sex

education and also some related topics about the mentioned topics.

This research paper will just mention a few things about the sex education
itself

since its primary purpose is just to tell all about the advantages and
disadvantages of

sex education in schools.

 It will not mention more about family planning, sexually transmitted
diseases, sexual

pleasure, relationships and other topics which are considered by the

researchers as far

from the main research topic.

Definition of Terms

For clearer understanding of this research, the following terms are

defined, thus:

Accuracy The state of being accurate; freedom from

mistakes, this exemption arising from carefulness;
exact conformity to truth, or to a rule or model;
precision; exactness; nicety; correctness; as, the
value of testimony depends on its accuracy.
(Webster, 1913)

Cabugao & Manuel 3

Comprehensive Including much; comprising many things; having a

wide scope or a full view. (Webster, 1913)

Consequence That which follows something on which it depends;

that which is produced by a cause; a result.
(Webster, 1913)

Glamorization The act of glamorizing; making something or

someone more
beautiful often in a superficial way. (Wordnet)

Premarital Relating to events before a marriage. (Wordnet)

Promiscuity Indulging in promiscuous (casual and indiscriminate)
sexual
Relations. (Wordnet)

Chapter 2

DISCUSSION

The Importance of Sex Education

Agreeing to what hkyson said in Yahoo! Answers, more and more

teenagers are

having sex at progressively earlier ages and do not know how to protect
themselves

against sexually transmitted diseases, we felt that maybe the lack of

knowledge all
about sex are guiding these teenagers in the wrong path.

If you have watched the news last night and there isn’t any news related
to rapes,

fetuses and some related things, congratulations. It is very rare for news
shows to have

no reports about those things. Same thing goes for the newspapers,
magazines and the

internet. At first, it will not bother you at all but later on you will be asking
yourself,

“What’s happening to our world right now?”

Isn’t the primary objective of sex education to enlighten and open the
eyes of young

people about sex? Parents, teachers, and schools, it is your responsibility to

teach these

young people. If you will not teach them, who will? Television? Movies?
Magazines?

With well accepted sex education, there is usually a lower rate of

unwanted

pregnancy and spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It is not totally true

that when

these young people were taught about sex, they are going to experiment
with it

afterwards. According to Mr. Realtimer, these occur when the young people
are

ignorantly curious and when they are uneducated and exposed to

unprotected sex and

pornographic materials.

Cabugao & Manuel 5

So introduction of sex education would be the right approach.

Sex Education and Schools

Parents may teach their children all about sex but would this be enough?
We believe

that schools and teachers should also have roles to teach those children. A lot
of parents

do not mention about all of these things to their children because they
thought if these

children knew about it, they will more likely try it. We do not agree. If parents
will not

teach them about sex education then that will be the cause they will more
likely try it.

However, other parents teach their children about sex but what they want
is that

they are the only ones to teach those things to their children. Some do like
the idea of

learning sex education in schools but some actually do not. According to

SIECUS, the

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, 93% of

adults they

surveyed support sexuality education in high school and 84% support it in

junior high

school. In fact, 88% of parents of junior high school students and 80% of
parents of

high school students believe that sex education in school makes it easier for
them to talk

to their adolescents about sex. Also, 92% of adolescents report that they
want both to

talk to their parents about sex and to have comprehensive in-school sex
education.

Like what we have read in an article, sex education in the classroom will
never

entirely replace sex activity in the bedroom by adolescents, but it has the
desired
influence on the sexual behaviors of young people.

Advantages of Sex Education in Schools

One obvious advantage of sex education is that people are informed. They
have

information that will help them make decisions having sex as a young person.
They

Cabugao & Manuel 6

know that the consequences of irresponsible behavior are both economically

and health

wise physically and emotionally. Additionally, they learn real information

rather than just

gossips. Sex education opens the kids’ eyes and teaches them about safety
and

precautions about sex.

Sex will also improve sexual health by explaining what the risks of
sexually

transmitted diseases are and reduces incidence of unwanted pregnancies.

With diseases

like AIDS which are preventable being widely misunderstood, there is some
control over

the accuracy of information being supplied, which parents may not be able to
or want to

pass on to their children. Sex education will also decline the rate of teen
pregnancies.

Some would cite a disadvantage as too much sex education would

promote young

people having sex. We think that the glamorization of sex in the media is far
more

responsible for this than educational programs

Disadvantages of Sex Education in Schools

Since there are a lot of advantages of sex education in schools, there are
also a lot

of disadvantages.

One disadvantage of sex education in schools is that it encourages

promiscuity as

kids know what it is about. It doesn’t really address the issue of those
incapable of

understanding what they are being told. Also, parental wishes are removed
from the

process which may be an issue in some religions/cultures. It concentrates

more on the

technical rather than the moral issues.

Other possible disadvantages are that the material may not be age-
appropriate or

presented accurately. Some students can’t ask freely in related to sex. And
there is a

possibility that even students already know about sex, some will still want to
do it before

Cabugao & Manuel 7

marriage.

Parents versus School

Why should sex education be taught in schools and not the parents? And
why should

sex education be taught by parents and not the school?

While ideally, parents would talk to their kids regularly about sex, starting
at a young
age, the fact is, most parents don't. Sex education in school is important,
because a lot

of kids don't get it anywhere else. Parents can choose to talk to their kids
about sex, or

not. Schools should not have that choice to allow the children to remain
ignorant of the

truth.

It really should be the parents’ responsibility, but too often parents are
just too

uncomfortable to deal with the situation in an objective, educational manner

or they feel

that by providing information that they are condoning pre-marital sex, which
we

personally don't feel that is true. Also, most kids feel uncomfortable asking
questions or

discussing sex with their parents.

However, some feel more uncomfortable asking questions to the

instructor because

it can be heard by the whole class. That’s one of the advantages that parents
should

teach sex education rather than the school.

We believe a parent should educate their children about sex education,

but we also

think school should do it as well, mainly because of the reasons we can think
of. But

after reading all of the things about teen pregnancies and related things, we
think sex

education should be taught both by parents and teachers. We believe that

sex education

for students will work best if the school and parents work together.
 Chapter 3

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

So after researching in the internet, we learned a lot of things not just

about the

advantages and disadvantages of sex education in schools but also the

importance and

why do parents and teachers work together for the young people.

Conclusions

To sum up, some of the advantages of sex education in schools are people
are

informed, teen pregnancies rates will decline, improve sexual health and a lot
more

advantages.

The disadvantages, on the other hand, are that it encourages promiscuity

and may

not be age-appropriate.

We knew that some feel uncomfortable for parents talking to children

about sex or

children feeling uncomfortable talking to parents. And we also knew that

some feel more

uncomfortable talking inside a class so it’s better that both, the school and
parents,

work together to inform the young people in terms of sexuality education.

Recommendations

If you want to learn more all about sex education or the sex education
itself, we

recommend you to go to Google.com or any search engines and search for

any web

Cabugao & Manuel 9

articles containing what you want to look for.

There are also some helpful books which you can find in libraries or in
bookstores

that will give you more information about the said topic.
 Cabugao & Manuel 10

PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS

Being mindful of the exposure given to our young ones in school, in the
media and among their peers, sex education teaches our young ones about
sexual intimacy, but also enlightens them on their reproductive systems,
birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. (Realtimer, 2008)

It is not true that when children are taught anything about sex, they out
rightly go and experiment with sex, with contraception, masturbation and
homosexuality. These occur when they are ignorantly curios and when they
are uneducated and exposed to unprotected sex and pornographic materials.
(Realtimer, 2008)

Introduction of sex education for children is a good idea and the need of
the hour since children start discussing sex-related issues with their friends at
an early age. As the parents are normally reluctant to discuss issues related
to sex with their children, kids learn things about sex from unreliable sources
and are often misguided. So introduction of sex education in schools would
be the right approach. (Nookaraju Bendukurthi, 2007)

Sex ed in the classroom will never entirely replace sex activity in the
bedroom by adolescents, but it has the desired influence on the sexual
behaviors of young people. Reductions in unwanted pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infections and HIV are almost certain ancillary benefits. (David
Katz, 2008)
 More and more teenagers are having sex at progressively earlier ages and
do not know how to protect themselves against sexually transmitted
diseases. (hkyson, 2008)

Cabugao & Manuel 11

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Realtimer. (2008, September 24). The Importance of Sex Education for Our
Generation
Today.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1044574/the_importance_of_sex_
education_for.html?cat=47

Nookaraju, B. (2007, June 17). It’s Time For Sex Education.

http://www.merinews.com/
catFull.jsp?articleID=125282

David, K. (2008, May 29). Sex: Classroom trumps bedroom.

http://shine.yahoo.com/cha
nnel/parenting/sex-classroom-trumps-bedroom-
178209/;_ylt=AszYppiWeXBlKThFZlz
UfV5dbqU5

NikkiHanak. (2008, April 24). Why we need more Sexual Education in our
schools! http:/
/shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/why-we-need-more-sexual-education-in-
our-schools-1
62092/;_ylt=At1.GodisViO2_uKF9iuizFdbqU5
A*. (2008, October 3) Sex Education http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/sex-
education
-278285/;_ylt=AlK58a2AWmyFeA.JCKXKx7pdbqU5