CBCP revives opposition to sex education

Catholic bishops on Tuesday revived their opposition to sex education in elementary and high school this school year, saying it is an encroachment to the duties of parents to their kids. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) maintained the primary responsibility for sex education for children lies with parents and guardians. “The position of the CBCP even before is that it (sex education) should be left to parents especially if we are talking about children who are underage," CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III said in an article posted Tuesday evening on the CBCP news site. Still, Quitorio said children should not be taught things that are not suited to them especially in schools. On Monday, the Department of Education (DepED) said it is determined to include sex education in the basic curriculum. DepEd Secretary Mona Valisno said the proposal includes going down to the elementary level. “We will pursue with its implementation because we really need this," Valisno said. She said the measure seeks to avoid unwanted pregnancies and curb of the spread of sex-related diseases, which she said have reached an alarming level because of lack if knowledge on the matter. But she said they would talk to the Catholic hierarchy first, with barely two weeks before the opening of classes. For his part, Quitorio said the church is concerned on where the focus of the sex education to would be. He noted the sex education being pushed in the past focused more on the physical aspect instead of being about the values surrounding it. “Students should be taught of the proper sex education… not sexuality that is focused on the physical aspect of sexuality but as a sacred gift from God," Quitorio said. - KBK, GMANews.TV