XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 41

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

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SEX EDUCATION OFFERED IN MOST SCHOOLS

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VIRTUALLY ALL PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND MOST SECONDARY SCHOOLS OFFER SEX EDUCATION IN SOME FORM, AND MANY SCHOOLS PROVIDE SEX EDUCATION THROUGH FORMAL AND INFORMAL CURRICULUM, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PAULINE NG, MR BRIDGE SAID BASED ON THE ADVICE OF THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE PRESENT POLICY WAS TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCE SEX EDUCATION. THIS APPROACH HAD BEEN ENDORSED BY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AT A SEMINAR HELD IN 1985.

AT PRIMARY LEVEL, HE SAID, SEX EDUCATION WAS INTRODUCED THROUGH THE SUBJECT OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND, AT SECONDARY LEVEL, THROUGH VARIOUS RELEVANT SUBJECTS IN THE CURRICULUM SUCH AS BIOLOGY, HUMAN BIOLOGY, HOME ECONOMICS, RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES AND THROUGH TALKS, SEMINARS OR SIMILAR EVENTS OUTSIDE THE FORMAL CURRICULUM.

+IN SUPPORT OF THE POLICY, THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS PREPARED A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF GUIDELINES ON SEX EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND COPIES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAY LAST YEAR, HE ADDED.

AS TO THE PROGRESS MADE, MR BRIDGE SAID THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WOULD BE CARRYING OUT A SURVEY OF SCHOOLS LATER THIS YEAR TO FIND OUT HOW IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GUIDELINES WAS PROCEEDING.

+VARIOUS SUPPORTING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING A PROGRAMME OF SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS.

IN ADDITION, MORE THAN 300 TEACHERS HAVE ATTENDED COURSES ORGANISED BY THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION WHILE OTHERS HAVE ATTENDED THE CERTIFICATE COURSE ON SEX EDUCATION ORGANISED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG'S DEPARTMENT OF EXTRA-MURAL STUDIES.

+FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ARE ALSO NOW BEING PRODUCED BY THE EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION SERVICE.+

MR BRIDGE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S SEX EDUCATION RESOURCE CENTRE AT NORTH POINT WAS OPENED LAST MONTH.

+THIS IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ADVISORY SERVICES, AND A CENTRAL LIBRARY OF REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS, HE SAID.

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