Education Department stops sex ed program

MANILA, (CBCPNews) June 22, 2010—The government on Tuesday put on hold the teaching of sex education in public schools amid strong opposition of the country’s influential Catholic Church. [Surprising to find that word used in a news article in the CBCP's website!  The word is usually double meaning especially when it is used by the anti-Catholic media of Manila.  Not sure why the reporter even used it. Hmmm...]

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said the implementation of the controversial program is postponed until after consultations with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. [Is this how the government really works?  If no one says "Ouch!"  then it must be ok?  I thought this country is a democracy?  I thought consultations are done before anything is done?  That is competence at work for you, tax payers!]

“We decided to hold sex education module in abeyance until a final decision is made on the consulting process,” Valisno said.

The Adolescent Reproductive Health program was supposed to be pilot-tested this school year in 80 elementary and 79 secondary schools.

The decision to halt the implementation of the program was also made a day after a class suit was filed against Valisno and Undersecretary Ramon Bacani. [When you raise your stick against a wild barking dog, then that wild beast you know you are in business.  So what does it do?  Goes dumb and tucks its tail between its legs...]

On Monday, parents led by CBCP lawyer Jo Imbong filed a class suit in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to stop the department from implementing the program.

The complainants along with representatives of Catholic political party Ang Kapatiran [Is there such a thing?  Do we have a political party of a particular religious denomination in the country? Or it just so happens that the members are Catholics who are faithful to the teachings of the Church?] said teaching sex education in schools violate the rights of parents to nurture the moral character of their children. [I will give my detailed take on this later.]

But the DepEd chief claimed the decision had nothing to do with the case against them but to allow a thorough discussion and clarify matters to those who are opposed to it. [Ows...]

Valisno said they are willing to modify the contents of the program if the church should find topics that contradict Christian values. [You think?!]

Church officials immediately welcomed the decision of the education department, reiterating that sex education will not solve the spread of sex-related diseases. [Nothing beats abstinence and chastity!]

Imbong, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Legal Office, said she is grateful with the move made by the government.

“We parents appreciate [the] decision. They were enlightened,” she said. [Hmmm...]

Valisno, however, insisted that sex education is still needed in the country to stop the rising incidence of teenage and unwanted pregnancies. [This is where their contraceptive agenda comes in.]

Such measure, she added, is also important to curb the spread of sex-related diseases in the country.

But Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, chairman of the CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life, maintained that sex education should be the primary responsibility of parents. [AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!]

Other church leaders said that if it is taught to students, it should not start in primary and high school level but in college.

The DepEd official said they had sent invitations thrice to the bishops for a dialogue but they have not received a positive response. [I once worked in government and now in my work in the private sector, I work with the government.  And believe me, when it comes to communications, government sucks, big time! You get the invite for a round-table discussion, but the event was 1 week ago!  Probably the people in government would rather pay more for courier service than just sending the invite via fax or email!]

CBCP President Bishop Nereo Odchimar earlier said they are still on the process on consulting with CBCP lawyers concerning the legality of the sex education program.

“Based on our advice, we’ll make our position clear,” Odchimar said. (Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews)

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Parents always have the right to educate their children.  We go to school because our parents do not have the luxury of time to educate us, that is why we are sent to school!  Do you remember the saying that teachers are our second parents?

Now with regards to sex education, it is the same as teaching your children good morals and character building.  Sex education CANNOT BE and MUST NOT BE TAUGHT at school.  Leave it to the parents.

Some people will say that there are irresponsible parents who do not even know what responsible parenthood is.  Ok, fine.  But is that an excuse for the State to institutionalize sex education.

Did the government even consider the fact that most teen pregnancies happen with teens who have troubled relationships at home?

Did the government even consider that sexually transmitted disease is high among sex workers?

Then why is government turning its eye on our children?!?!?!

Remember the botched condom distribution campaign of the Health Department?  Now this...

Can't you smell the ugly, gnarled hand of multinational latex companies trying its damned best to change the morality of our beloved country.