Sex education advocates hail condom demo in school

 

Screenshots from a TikTok video showing students learning how to put on a condom.

PETALING JAYA: Reproductive health advocates have praised a demonstration which apparently showed students how to put on a condom on a phallus-shaped object.

The demonstration, captured in a TikTok video, is said to have taken place at a school in Sarawak.

The short video shows a group of male students watching a classmate being guided by someone assumed to be their teacher.

FMT has contacted the education ministry for clarification as to whether such demonstrations are part of the syllabus but has yet to receive a response.

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Sex education is in the school syllabus for health and social education, but former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching said she was uncertain whether such demonstrations were allowed.

Federation of Reproductive Health Associations’ medical committee chairman Harry Dinesh said the use of a phallic object would help give students a good understanding of how to use a condom.

However, he said, it was crucial that the module be comprehensive and there be an awareness programme for students to understand the subject.

“Sex education needs to be approached from a wider perspective, where students must be taught that safe sex helps prevent diseases, avoids unwanted pregnancies, and reduces baby dumping,” he said.

Rabiathul Badariah Bazeer Ahmed, who heads the education committee at the Selangor and Federal Territories Family Reproductive Health Association, said such demonstrations would be useful for students.

She said such activities would help break the ice among teenagers and encourage them to discuss sensitive topics.

It would also help teachers build rapport with their students and give a better explanation of such subjects.

Rabiathul said it was evident that teenagers were sexually active and that improving sex education in schools could help them avoid unintended consequences.

According to the health ministry, Malaysia recorded 28 teenage pregnancies daily between 2017 and 2021 and an average of 100 babies were dumped annually.

Teo said experts were needed to train teachers to teach the subject properly.

“Children can learn about all this easily from the internet,” she said. “So it’s better that we teach them in school where they are supervised by teachers and we can make sure that the content is professional and correct.”

Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said: “While it may appear amusing, it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the subject is taught properly and that boundaries are not crossed.

“However, we do not condone such forms of demonstration.” - FMT