THE IMPORTANCE AND PROSPECTS OF TEACHING SEX EDUCATION IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL: A CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This project is aimed at finding out the importance and prospects of teaching sex education in junior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The concept of sex education, the importance who to handle the course and the enviable qualities that are expected to be possessed by the teachers who are to teach the course in schools and the effect who are to teach the course in schools is not introduced into the curriculum where highlighted in chapter one and two. The main research instrument for data collection was questionnaire, which was administered to students in the selected secondary schools. Five research questions were formulated to focus the researcher’s attention on certain issues, based on the analysis of the data collected; it revealed that the awareness of sex education will make students to be responsible to their family and the society. That it should also be taught to boys and girls, it also teaches that sex education helps to reduce the rate of fatherless babies and which the society will greatly benefit from. It was also discovered that sex education will not cause poor academic performance among students instead; it has positive effect on the moral behaviour of the student. The researcher finally discovered that sex education is highly needed in junior secondary schools. After a thorough research, findings on this topic, the researcher concluded that parents, teachers and the government should work hand in hand to help the school students of this situation.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
An important but most undermined phenomenon that has ploughed the society for many years is sex education. This phenomenon is so complicated that people have different view about it. These differences bring tolerance in security among some while it creates problems in some other ethnic groups where discussion of sex is taboo.
Sex education is one of the major determinants of future stability in families of any nation. It is a comprehensive and systematic development programme extending from infancy to maturity. It is planned and directed to produce social and moral desirable sexual attitudes, practices and behaviour; Calder wood and Sloan (1982).
Sex problem have had a very devastating effect on the individual in our society. Some people have wrong idea about sex education. This is not surprising considering the fact that many old people have their respective point of view about life.
In a society where boys and girls admitted into the same school creates problem of physical problem and emotional involvement, which eventually results in arousing sexuality. This anxiety created in them; make them jump into this game of uncontrollable emotion.
In this chapter, the researcher intends to have an overview of terminologies associated with sex before dealing with the scope of this study. Sex e3ducation is the instruction about sex and human sexuality which children are supposed to receive but many parents do not instruct their children about sex at all.
With the greater freedom of discussion of sex in our society and the early maturity of children today. One would consider the introduction of sex education to our teenagers too early, the introduction of proper sex education to our youth or teenagers reduce many of the society problems that are facing us.
Correct and relevant information should be given to teenagers about the changes and development they observe in their bodies during the period of maturity. The girls develop breast and pelvic bone broaden etc. these start about the age of twelve years (12) while the boys sexual organs matures, their chest widens and their larynx enlarges. This period in teenagers is very crucial in the life of an individual and many frustrations may occur during this stage such as school dropout, sexual immorality, juveniles delinquencies to mention a few.
Gone are those days when sexual matter was hidden from children. They are expected to be given information about sex so as to break through the desire in them so that they will not go astray.
Sex desire can lead to sexual immorality which can result to unwanted pregnancy. Most unmarried teenagers who have babies are carried away by sexual feelings and emotional desire. This can lead to abortion, sexually transmitted disease and so no.
Religious groups and a taboo to the generality of the society consider sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married wrong. It can result to unwanted child, psychological problem for person involved.
The need for the teaching of sex education in junior secondary school in Egor local government Area cannot be overemphasized. This is because of the influx of people from different ethnic groups into the locality. Egor local government area has not only increased in population and also in size. The need to actualize these sexual feelings becomes the evident when students are among themselves. But the forceful preventive warning of the parents only saves them temporary check on sexual tendencies amongst these youth. With the children sent to secondary schools and no true knowledge of sex education, a lot of problem easily comes into play as the students jump this game of uncontrolled emotional. As a place for the dissemination of knowledge, secondary school become the local point for introduction of sex education, since present generation involves itself in promiscuity and corruption, there is the need for them to be taught what sexual relationship is with this, a lot of changes will occur in the life’s of the students, parents and the community at large.
According to Calder-Wood and Sloan (1982) the World War II marked the liberation of many attitudes about sex as well as the beginning of change in behaviour, leading individuals all over the world to advocate for children. The child study association of American in the 1920s led the way towards an open approach to all topics including sex education. Through more emphasis was placed on reproductive education since then, the concept has enlarged.
Today sex education encompassed a wide range of biological, sociological knowledge. Today there is the awareness of the need for sex education in schools, churches and other institution of the growing concern over teenage pregnancy, Abortion, Venereal diseases, increased promiscuity, wide spread marital and sexual difficulties.
Calder-Wood and Sloan (1982) both agree that traditionally, parent were chiefly responsible for the sex education of their children. Community agencies and religions bodies later joined the team but these groups of people were inadequate. Finally sex education became integrated in schools since they could reach the largest segment of the population as well as teaching sex education more objective teachers are being trained in the higher institution of learning all o0ver the world in order to teach sex education
Moreover, the knowledge of sex education will reduce threat of causality which would have resulted from illegal procurement of abortion by quack doctors, presently, sex education programme have been integrated into several secondary schools; education programme.
Therefore sex education should be given to children at any developmental stage because the foundation laid in the early life of the children will determine then stability and quality of their married life.
Sex education should be given to the teenagers through their parents, teachers, counselors and educators. It should also be introduced into secondary schools for teenagers of both sexes with this introduction alone, a lot of changes will occur in the life of the students, parents and the community at large.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This study intends to emphasize the need for the introduction of sex education into secondary school and also to investigate, if sex education has positive or negative effect on students. Ignorance of sex and its problem is prevalent among secondary school students. The lives of students are shattered. With the passing of incorrect information among themselves, they get misled by others. Young people regard sex education as a fun rather than what it really is. They see it as a persona and private affair of the participants which is not really about sex education.
The problem resulting from the lack of sex education to our youths is numerous. They are unwanted pregnancies increase in abortion, high incoherence of sexual transmitted disease and high rate of sexually promiscuity. All these have led to inability to concentrate, poor school performance, rate of school dropout, increase in illiteracy and over population, consequently, the educational opportunity of Nigerian youth is greatly affected and these posses a great lost on the society. To behavioural scientist, the introduction of sex education is proper, despite the increasing sexual problems is parents and schools are still not providing teenagers with proper knowledge of sex education.
Many administrations have been greatly worried about the appropriate level at which sex education can be introduced. Who should teach sex education, what to teach and who to teach? It should however, be realized that sex education, if properly given does not arouse morbid curiosity but exactly the opposite to young people. The misinformation secrete, misinterpretation and fables about sex functions lead to dangerous consequences, therefore, information about sex education teaches and give an insight understandi8ng of sex functions.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to know the relevance of sex education as a course in the school curriculum. The study also aim at finding out how sexual problem influence students. It would also educate the student to know that sexual relationship is an implication of sex promiscuity.
The purpose for this study knows the positive and negative effect it has on students. It is also aimed at knowing the benefit it has on students and the society at large. It is also to seek and find out the various ways in which the teaching of sex education can be taught who to teach it and the goals to be achieved from teaching sex education.
This study will add to knowledge especially when the study is based on sex education. With the highlighting of this study, it opens the eyes of the educational administrators and the curriculum planners to know the importance of sex education as a course to be introduced with the curriculum so as to enlighten the teenagers and the society at large.
The outcome of this research programme will enable the readers to identify the need for teaching sex education in junior secondary schools it is hoped that through the findings, the various misconceptions on the issue of female sex education will be corrected. There can be nothing more damaging to effective sex rejection than shame, embarrassment, untruthfulness, no timidity about sex etc.
Solving the issue of sex education teaching in junior secondary school in Egor local government area will go a long way in improving on the health of every individual or students school performances, population growth and therefore improve the standard of living in the society.
The research questions that are required for the purpose of this study include the following:
1) Is sex education relevant as a course to be taught in education?
2) Are there trained personnel to handle the course?
3) Of what benefits is sex education to the pupils, students and the society at large?
4) What effect will the introduction of this course have on the moral behaviour of the students?
5) Will the introduction of this course make student become juvenile and dropout from schools?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is conceived that at the completion of the study its findings would be beneficial to:
i) The students of various secondary school who are the primary beneficiary of this education
ii) The parent whose child will have a better knowledge about sex education
iii) The society in which the rate of unwanted pregnancy among teenagers will be greatly reduced
iv) Researcher and academia and school management as the study will help them improve their curriculum on sex education
SCOPE/DELIMITATION
A study like this embraces all areas but the researcher cannot cover all the scope therefore, the researcher selected three (3) secondary schools in Egor local government area of Edo State and a sample of teachers in the selected schools and parents. Sex education is a very broad topic. It is necessary for everybody not just student or adolescents, however. This is limited to the teaching of sex education in junior secondary school curriculum.
LIMITATION OF STUDY
This study was faced by a number of problems, which restricted the researcher from carrying out the study thoroughly such as time factor, transportation to and fro to reach her supervisor and combination of domestic works.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE: Disease contacted through sexual intercourse e.g. HIV, AIDS
SEX: A fundamental driving force in relationship between the biological needs to produce curture, influence, love, affection etc. in human life.
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP: These also has something to do with having canal knowledge of both sex or each other
SEX ORGANS: Structure responsible for reproduction e.g. penis in male and vaginal is female.
EDUCATION: This is the act of acquiring knowledge, skills, attitude that intends to produce a positive result. It is a process of changing the behaviour of a person.
PROMISCUITY: In discriminate sexual relationship that occur outside marriage life.
TEENAGERS: This is the stage of development in human being between 10-17 years.
SEX EDUCATION: This comprises of the knowledge of male and female anatomy or part of the body the basic process of human reproduction and development sexual intercourse, consequences and responsibility, contraceptives or pregnancy, prevention and where or how to get counseling.
ABORTION: Process of terminating pregnancy.
PELVIC: Hip bones
TEACHING: This is the act of impacting knowledge, skill, attitude, morals in order to be useful in the society.