DepEd shelves plan to upload sex education modules

The Department of Education (DepEd) has shelved a plan to upload sex education modules on its website. After consultations with various sectors, the DepEd has deferred the plan, despite calls to have these accessed and scrutinized publicly.

"We did not approve the proposal because the sex education program is classified by age [brackets]. It is age-appropriate," DepEd spokesperson Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya told GMANews.TV over the phone. The modules were created for the pilot-testing of sex education in primary and secondary schools. The DepEd and other stakeholders consulted about the matter — including medical experts and psychologists — realized that making modules accessible to everyone via the Internet could pose a danger to young individuals. If uploaded on the DepEd website, elementary students might be able obtain copies of modules that are more advanced for their age and are only intended for high school students. As an alternative, he said parties who wish to go over the contents of the modules can instead request copies from the DepEd. "Sufficient naman ang copies namin [After all, we have sufficient copies of the modules]," Malaya added. 'Open to small changes, revisions' In the meantime, the DepEd is continuously holding consultations with other concerned sectors who are offering suggestions and amendments to the modules. "We are open to small changes and revisions," Malaya said. However, until now, the DepEd has yet to meet with officials of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which is the staunchest critic of the DepEd's sex education program. The department has so far sent at least four letters to the CBCP requesting a joint consultation, but the latter has yet to act on their request, Malaya said. Despite the CBCP's strong opposition against the program, Malaya claimed they have also gathered support for it from "some bishops." "Pabor sila dito. Kaya wala pa talaga silang consensus [There are bishops in favor of this. The body has really not yet arrived at a consensus]," he added. Next administration Malaya admitted that the fate of DepEd's sex education program was still hanging in the balance, depending on who President-elect Benigno Aquino III would be appointing as the next Education chief. [See: Prelate to Noynoy: Stop sex education in schools] "If the next secretary has [reservations] about the program, we will definitely go back to the drawing board," he said. He said the pilot test for sex education, which simultaneously started during school opening in almost 200 schools, would be implemented for the entire school year. At the end of the school year, the DepEd will evaluate its effectiveness and decide whether to expand the coverage of sex education, to cater to more schools. The selected schools where sex education has been introduced are mostly found in rural areas with incidents of sexually transmitted diseases, among other factors. What's with the name? A number of sex education advocates had already urged the DepEd to just replace the name of the program with some other names like "Gender Education" or "Gender Awareness" to avoid evoking a negative connotation about the program. But the DepEd is unlikely to give in to the request, saying the agency was just trying to be "consistent with international standards" of calling the program as "sex education." The agency hardly received any objection when the program was started last year under the name, "Adolescent Reproductive Education," according to Malaya. "That's why I don't understand why they are airing their serious objections only now," Malaya said. Misquoted As far as the CBCP article quoting Education Secretary Mona Valisno as saying the DepEd has suspended the program, Malaya said she might have only been "misquoted." "The DepEd is not putting the sex education program on hold. Sec. Valisno clarified that no such decision has been made," Malaya said. "It appears that she was misquoted in the CBCP article."

The CBCP posted on its website a news article claiming that the DepEd was suspending its sex education program pending further consultation. CBCP screen grab

In the CBCP article, Valisno reportedly said: "We decided to hold sex education module in abeyance until a final decision is made on the consulting process." On Monday, a CBCP lawyer led parents in filing a class suit against Valisno and Undersecretary Ramon Bacani before a Quezon City court. — Mark D. Merueñas / RJAB Jr./RSJ, GMANews.TV