Sexuality Education Programme in Bukit Timah Primary School

Information on MOE Sexuality Education for 2012

Bukit Timah Primary School

Moe Sexuality Education in Schools

1. Sexuality Education aims to help our young understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy relationships with the opposite sex and to teach them how to make responsible choices. It is premised on the importance of the heterosexual married couple forming a nuclear family as the basic unit of society, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.

2. The goals of Sexuality Education are to:

(i)provide accurate and adequate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity so that pupils are able to make informed decisions;
(ii)impart intra- and inter-personal skills of problem-solving, decision-making and effective communication so that pupils are able to build responsible and rewarding relationships; and
(iii)inculcate positive values and attitudes of sexuality so that pupils develop a respect for themselves and others as sexual beings, in line with the national value of the family as the basic unit of society.

3. The key messages of Sexuality Education are:

(i) Build healthy futures for yourself, family and society.

(ii) Healthy relationships based on love and respect are the foundation for strong families.

(iii) Casual sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, STIs/HIV and AIDS which can harm and hurt your loved ones.

You may click here for more information on MOE Sexuality Education.

Overview of Bukit Timah Primary School SEd Programme for 2012

4. Sexuality Education in schools is taught in both the formal curriculum and co-curricular programmes. These are covered under four main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health and Behaviour, and, Societal Influences.

Formal Curriculum

5. The curricular subjects that incorporate topics on sexuality include:

Co-Curricular Programme

Growing Years (GY) Programme : “Curious Minds” (Primary 5 & 6) package

6. The upper primary years mark the onset of puberty. With better nutrition and improved health care, children are reaching puberty at a younger age and have to grapple with physical, emotional and psychological changes in themselves. The implication is that our children are becoming biologically ready for sexual activity sooner without necessarily having the corresponding cognitive or emotional maturity to modulate their behaviours. Easy access to information via the internet also means that unless properly guided, our young may find it a challenge to make appropriate choices on matters of sexuality.

7. “Curious Minds” is a response to these challenges. It is designed to underscore the importance of character development and health. It consists of a multi-media package with interactive games, role-plays to engage pupils in learning facts about sexuality.

At Bukit Timah Primary School, the following lessons from the Growing Years Programme will be taught in 2012:

Target Levels	Topics/Lessons	GY Learning Outcomes	Time Period
Pri 5	What Is Happening To Me?	Girls & boys go through physical changes. Type, degree and timing of change may vary between individuals	Term 1
	Why Am I Stressed?	How to handle changes as they grow up Importance of talking to parents about stresses Provide support to friends Respect differences in individuals	Term 1
	Why Don’t I Like Myself?	Important to develop self-confidence & a good self esteem to cope with emotional stresses. No right or wrong emotion but must know how to deal with feelings	Term 2
	Who Should I Be?	Important not to stereotype roles according to gender To be comfortable with our sexuality & learn how to enhance our strengths	Term 2
	What Is My Role?	Each member of family has certain authority & role Some members perform certain duties more than others Gender roles evolve with changes in society, thus we should avoid stereotyping	Term 3
	Who Can Help Me?	Turn to parents for information & support on sensitive issues Various sources of help Ensure help is from reliable sources	Term 3
	What is Love?	Understand that infatuation is a normal part of growing up Understand that infatuation is temporary Appreciate different kinds of love and crushes	Term 4
	Where do I begin?	Demonstrate understanding that respect is the underlying value for healthy relationships	Term 4
Pri 6	Who are You?	Understand the need to maintain relationships with people outside the family Differentiate between good and bad strangers or familiar adults	Term 1
Pri 6	Why Do I Like You?	Strong friendship with the same or opposite sex promotes personal growth & sense of well being Idolising is normal and will pass as pupils grow	Term 1
	Who am I talking to?	Express their views about information from the Internet and be aware of the potential/possible dangers of it Recognise that one does not need to rely on the Internet to make friends	Term 2
	Who touched me?	Recognise acceptable and unacceptable ways of touching others	Term 2
	Why are you showing me that?	Demonstrate awareness of the different types of exhibitionism Demonstrate knowledge of how to defend themselves in these types of situations.	Term 3
	Where do I go from here?	Recognise what sexual abuse is Distinguish bewteen different types of sexual abuse	Term 3
	Why have things chang ed?	Understand the need to maintain relationships with people outside the family Differentiate between good and bad strangers or familiar adults	Term 4

Information for Parents

8. Parents may opt their children out of the Growing Years programme, and/or Sexuality Education programmes by external providers.

9. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the whole or part of the Growing Years programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be distributed to parents at the start of the year and is also downloadable SEd File.

10. Parents may wish to attend the school sexuality education programmes with their children. Parents should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.

11. Parents can contact the school at 6466 2863 for discussion or to seek clarification about the school’s sexuality education programme.