Monday, March 5, 2012

Why can't we discuss sex with children?

<a href="http://phpweby.com/hostgator_coupon.php">hostgator coupon</a>


A note of caution to religious zealots and hypersensitive parents. They should not read this piece of writing which relates to sex education, a subject that is still sacrosanct to many of them.

   Many Malaysians are surprisingly regressive and inhibited when it comes to teaching the young about the birds and the bees. Parents, teachers and guardians are often dumbfounded when children ask them about production, birth control or lovemaking. The naïve but curious ones are naturally keen to know where they come from.

   Schools hardly enlighten the young on sex. Science textbooks portray body parts with an extensive touch-up. Genitals do not show a single strand of hair. In short, the visuals are bland and unrealistic.

   How could teachers explain the functions of sex organs without depicting them truthfully, if not graphically? A book sold worldwide was banned because drawings look too life-like. Surely we cannot be on the level with the young unless we present facts and real-life situations. 

   Should we lie to a child saying that a huge stork has dropped him or her into a rubbish bin? Or should we silence a child with an angry stare or a frown when he or she asks how a baby is born?

   Ignorance of sex


   Instead of allowing the young to refer to sexual organs in rude terms, we should be frank to explain what a penis, vagina, sperm and ovaries are. It is even more educational if we briefly touch on how they function. .

    More than six billion people would not have populated this world if sex were "sinful" or "dirty".  But what is sex? Parents, guardians and teachers need to impart sex education to the young.

   The universal argument is that if we are ashamed of sex or if sex is immoral, we should be celibate, become monks or nuns, or stay unmarried. The ignorance of sex can do more harm than good. And sex phobia can cause emotional and psychological problems.  

   However, in a repressed, double-standards society, parents and teachers alike avoid mentioning sexual organs and their functions. The young are therefore left to imagine and discover the truth on their own, often at their peril. Silence merely stirs the curiosity of the young.

    The truth of the matter is that the young need to know the plain facts about sex. The subject cannot be concealed or banned as though it is a nuclear device or a stolen item. It becomes a time bomb as the young ascertain the truth through experiments and pitfalls. And they are today more intelligent and mature than most of their parents in their younger days.

   Upper secondary students have to be educated on sexual issues and problems such as unwanted pregnancy, abortion, human mating and child-bearing before they search for information on pornography websites.A second-hand or third-party source is unreliable and can be misleading. 

    Sex education is quite similar to geography and history. You need to depict places, backgrounds and times through maps, drawings and visuals. Each is a learning process based on facts and illustrations.

   We cannot pretend that the matter is solved when the young keep quiet about the matter and remain uninformed.  In fact, they have every right to the basic information.

   We cannot live in a make-believe world where ignorance is bliss and false pretences are tolerated. 

No comments:

Post a Comment