Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has defended the government's sex education curriculum for secondary schools, which asks students to avoid premarital sex and use badminton to quell their sexual urges.
Speaking after the 2024 Policy Address District Forum yesterday (Aug 25), Mr Lee said although people may have very different views on education, especially when it comes to values and concepts, the Government has a leading role in shaping the kind of society it aims to build.
“So the Education Department has its own views on these issues. The public can provide additional perspectives and the Education Department will certainly take that into consideration,” Lee said.
“In the long term, education philosophy must be geared towards preparing the next generation for the kind of society, living environment and overall social culture we want to build, and fostering a long-term consensus on knowledge and behavior, because social culture is something that needs to be cultivated collectively over time through sustained efforts,” Lee added.
This follows a controversy over secondary school curricula on civics, economics and society (Civics, Economics and Social StudiesThe Ministry of Education has announced it will revise its back-to-school curriculum for new students, which has come under fire for including a passage encouraging students to strictly forbid premarital sex.
The materials also include an activity where couples fill out a “pledge” to set intimacy boundaries, including how to manage sexual fantasies and urges.
The materials also suggest an “avoidance and diversion” approach to dealing with sexual desire, citing an example of a man experiencing a physiological reaction when alone at home with his girlfriend when a couple decide to play badminton together in a gym.
“Lovers don't need to have sex to show each other that they love each other. Sex must be based on love with a solid foundation and commitment.” […] “Couples who cannot cope with the consequences of premarital sex, such as unmarried pregnancy, legal liability and emotional distress, should firmly reject premarital sex,” the materials state.
This has drawn a variety of responses from various MPs.Jiang YuhuanIn a Facebook post, she said the proposed method was out of step with modern society. It is important to impart good values, but they should not be forced on students. “The suggestion to go play badminton is even more unrealistic. How can you suddenly book a court and rent rackets?” she wrote.
Another member of parliament, Gary Chan (Zhang Xinyu“The educational materials broadly promote a “zero tolerance for premarital sex,” which goes far beyond simply catering to minors,” he said on Facebook. Recent public discussion of the issue easily draws connections to moral judgments, he added.
Meanwhile, media information company CARMA said that the Govt. Educational materials about adolescents and intimate relationships. Of these references, 20% expressed negative sentiment and 2.7% expressed positive sentiment.
In response, the Education Bureau said on its official website that the view that “Hong Kong's sex education has not kept up with the development of modern society” is not accurate. “The educational philosophy aims to develop students into people with well-balanced values. It is unprofessional and irresponsible to encourage so-called informed decisions among students who are unable to deal with the consequences.”
She added that the purpose of the materials is to remind students of the need to uphold appropriate standards, help them understand the importance of setting sexual boundaries and how to handle them, as well as to make them aware of values regarding sexuality.
“The responsibility of the Education Bureau through its curriculum is to make students understand the necessity and importance of complying with the law. The message of 'resolutely refusing to have sex before marriage' can enhance students' sense of self-protection and serve a preventive function in helping them avoid making irreparable mistakes that could harm not only themselves but others and lead to lifelong regret,” the article read.
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