Bohol is one of the 10 provinces and one city chosen by the Department of Education as pilot centers in the teaching of sex education to Grave V and VI pupils. In a check with Dr. Lorna Rances, Bohol schools division superintendent last night, she said she was not sure if the pilot study was about sex education. Her instruction was for Adult Reproductive Health (ARH). Whether they are the “same banana” (ARH or SE), Dr. Rances is yet to receive a memorandum to this effect. Whatever specific subject is going to be taught beginning this school year, Dr. Rances confirmed that ARH will be test piloted in three school districts namely Ubay, Carmen and Talibon with expansion districts like Dauis, Buenavista and Loboc. As to the specific schools in these districts, Dr. Rances did not identify. Bohol along with Ifugao, Mountain Province, Masbate, Eastern Samar, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi tawi and Sultan Kudarat. The lone city in the list is Olangapo.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

A news story that appeared in the Cebu Daily News last Tuesday showed that the DepEd is teaching sex education not ARH although they may end up with the same connotation. The story said the DepEd has been teaching sex education before it was integrated in other subjects like Biology but this time the Catholic Church is protesting a specific United Nations Population Fund Project to teach sex education in schools. Education officials insist that the bishops have nothing to worry about because DepEd was open to deleting portions of the teaching modules that the Church would find offensive. “In Grade V, teaching about the reproductive system is very clinical” said DepEd Asst. Sec. Teresita Inchiong. “They have models showing the flow of the sperm cell. Copulation is not there (but) the flow of the egg cell meeting (the sperm cell) is there”. For Grade V, sex education would be included in the Science and Health subject that would have lessons on the reproductive system. For Grade VI, it would be integrated in Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan and it would include lessons on the “proper behaviour between peers of different gender”, personal hygiene, and the problems caused by unwanted pregnancy.