COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION

ELEINE A. YABUT

The comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is integrated in various learning areas such as values education, good manners and right conduct, health and technology and livelihood.

At the moment, the Department of Education (DepEd) has committed to revisit and intensify its CSE in a bid to address the high teenage pregnancy cases among basic education learners.

According to the DepEd, it has flexible options for learners, one of which is the provision of alternative learning delivery modes as well as the appropriate learning delivery for those learners who are in special circumstances.

Officials cited results of the National Demographic and Health Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, showing that 8.6 percent of 15-19 year-old girls or 1 out of 10 got pregnant in 2017.

If they become pregnant, most likely they will stop school, and if they stop school, they will not gain knowledge to help them get employed, officials said.

In 2022, it went down to 5.4 percent but Gatchalian expressed concern that teenage pregnancy among 15-year-olds went up from 0.5 to 1.4.

During the former DepEd administration, the agency came up with a directive that pregnant girls should be allowed to continue their studies.

Both girls and boys should have exposure to reproductive health, officials said.

DepEd has a Learner Rights and Protection Office (LRPO), the lead unit related to child protection at different governance levels.

Under LRPO is the Child Protection Unit which envisions that learners in the Philippines are protected from violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of abuse in schools.

DepEd earlier expressed support for proposals in the Senate to standardize CSE in all levels of basic education, saying this would break the "persistent taboo" on discussing adolescent sexuality and reproductive health.

-oOoThe author is Teacher I at Bebe Anac Elementary School