Hong Kong authorities have criticised sex education experts as “highly unprofessional” and reinforcing victim-blaming bias, with the materials telling secondary school students to control their impulses, abstain from premarital sex and “avoid the visual stimulation of sexy clothing”.
Saturday's sharp criticism came a day after the education department defended proposals released last month in teaching materials for civics, economics and social studies for first to third graders in middle school that stressed the need to ensure students “can make responsible decisions.”
The materials said students should set their own boundaries and control their sexual urges: if a boy or girl engaged in intimate physical contact that aroused sexual desire, they should “immediately leave the situation” or go play badminton together.
The 70-page document says people who cannot deal with “the issues of pregnancy, legal liability and emotional distress that result from unmarried marriage” should “categorically refuse” premarital sex.
The Rev Peter Koon-Ho-Min, a member of parliament and former member of the Curriculum Development Council, believes there is merit in authorities “drawing the line” on premarital sex and maintaining a more conservative stance towards rebellious teenagers.
“Obviously, if you were to talk about this in a college class, it wouldn't go over well because people would think you were stupid, but if you're talking to 12- to 14-year-olds who are in the midst of adolescence, you probably need to set higher standards. [standard]” he said.
But Kuhn also found some of the examples in the document “really strange.”
Hong Kong's ballet boys defy stereotypes
One scenario sees a teenage couple celebrating a month of dating with a movie night, with the boy wanting to kiss his girlfriend after drinking some wine and feeling “hot and excited.”
The document discussed the consequences if the girl accepted the advances, suggesting that “if the sexual urges are aroused by the contact stimulation, sexual behaviour may occur” and that the girl “may be at risk of out-of-wedlock pregnancy.”
The recommended “avoid and divert” responses were to “take a walk in the park” and “enjoy the view of the flowers and trees.”
Doris Cheong Zi-wai, secretary-general of the Association on Sexual Violence Against Women, said the discussion in the document omitted the important thought process of enabling young people to identify their own wishes and clearly express their consent.
“When it comes to sex education, we want to show kids that they know what their needs are and what their options are,” she said.
“[Document drafters] “There seems to be a great deal of concern that if young people have sexual desires, they will have sex, have children and end up in very difficult and distressing situations. But is this the only solution?”
The book's mock exercises also encourage students to play “love experts” and advise 15-year-old couples to “dress appropriately to present a wholesome image and avoid the visual stimulation of sexy clothing.”
Chong worries that including such messages could reinforce the victim-blaming stigma common in the city.
Doris Cheong Zi-wai, executive director of the Society on Sexual Violence Against Women, said the omitted materials lacked content that spoke to empowering young people to express their will. Photo: Ik Yong-man
Professor Diana Kwok Kwan, a sex therapist and gender studies scholar at the Education University of Hong Kong, found that 27 percent of the material was about family planning association pamphlets, with few references to relevant, up-to-date academic research.
He noted that some of the publications cited in the document were published more than 30 years ago, and that some theories are presented without citation and “pay no attention to the theoretical limitations that many scholars point out.”
“Sex education research is beginning to understand that sex is not binary, but the new guidelines do not adequately address the sexual and gender realities of young people. The failure to conduct an academic literature review of official textbooks is highly unprofessional and confusing,” she said.
“The 1997 sex education guidelines were conceptually much better, but they have now regressed. Sex has evolved from being the foundation of a good life to being an obsession with dominance.”
Meet Miss Gaviota, Mexico's First Transgender Lucha Libre Wrestler
In an earlier statement, the agency denied the criticism, saying it was “far removed from reality.”
“Some have said that sex education in Hong Kong has not kept up with the development of modern society. The authorities must make it clear that this view is incorrect,” the bureau said on its website on Friday.
“The concept of sex education in Hong Kong's school curriculum is to develop students into people with well-rounded values, enabling them to make informed and responsible decisions on sexual issues in the future when they are mature in mind and condition.”
The ministry said schools need to instruct students to improve their self-defense awareness and to cultivate self-control and a law-abiding attitude.
“Though opinions differ across societies about premarital sex, underage students should be provided with ample protection and reminded that Hong Kong law provides severe penalties for sexual offences,” the statement said.