Jonas opposed to sex education in schools

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday expressed his opposition to the teaching of sex education in elementary and high schools.

Cortes’ statement came after Department of Education officials in Mandaue City announced the inclusion of sex education in the basic education curriculum starting this school year.

Cortes said the teaching of sex education is the responsibility of parents and not teachers.

He said schools should instead teach waste segregation and other environmental concerns.

He said there is no longer the need to integrate sex educations in any subject area in both elementary and secondary levels because the subject Anatomy already tackles body parts such as sex organs and human reproduction, human organs in Biology, hygiene is incorporated in Health, while population is taken up in Social Science.

Cortes said it is much better that students are taught waste segregation and encouraged to bring recyclable waste in exchange for something.

Cortes said he will block DepEd’s move to teach sex education and will discuss the matter during the local school board meeting on the second Thursday of this month.

Benjamin Tiongson, the administrative officer of the DepEd in Mandaue City, said the department has already received the modules for both elementary and high schools from DepEd’s Central office in Manila.  - THE FREEMAN