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Sexuality Education (IP)
Sexuality Education (IP)
OVERVIEW (IP YEAR 1 TO IP YEAR 4)
MOE SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS (SECONDARY)
- Sexuality Education (SEd) in schools is about enabling students to understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy and rewarding relationships including those with members of the opposite sex, and make wise, informed and responsible decisions on sexuality matters. SEd is premised on the importance of the family as the basic unit of society. This means encouraging healthy, heterosexual marriages and stable nuclear family units with extended family support. The teaching and learning of SEd is based on respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities in Singapore on sexuality issues.
- The Goals of Sexuality Education are:
- To help students make wise, responsible and informed decisions through the provision of accurate, current and age-appropriate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity;
- To help students know themselves and build healthy and rewarding relationships through the acquisition of social and emotional skills of self-awareness, management of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, development of empathy for others, possession of effective communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills; and
- To help students develop a moral compass, respect for themselves and for others as sexual beings, premised on the family as the basic unit of society, through the inculcation of positive mainstream values and attitudes about sexuality.
- The Key Messages of Sexuality Education are:
- Love and respect yourself as you love and respect others;
- Build positive relationships based on love and respect (which are the foundation for strong families);
- Make responsible decisions for yourself, your family and society; and
- Abstinence before marriage is the best protection against STIs/HIV and unintended pregnancies. Casual sex can harm and hurt you and your loved ones.
You may click here for more information on MOE Sexuality Education.
OVERVIEW OF TJC’S 2023 SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMME (IP YEAR 1 TO IP YEAR 4)
- Sexuality Education is delivered in a holistic manner through the school curriculum. The content for Sexuality Education is grouped into five main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health, Sexual Behaviour, and, Culture, Society and Law. You may click here for more information on the scope of Sexuality Education in the school curriculum.
- The subjects that incorporate topics on sexuality include:
- Science
- Character and Citizenship Education (CCE)
Sexuality Education Lessons:
- The values and attitudes of our youth towards sexuality are increasingly shaped by their peers, exposure to the media, popular culture and the internet. Adolescence is a complex stage in life as the adolescent attempts to find his/her own identity and often struggles with new social relationships. The period of middle adolescence (generally from 15 – 17 years old) can be a turbulent period for adolescents. The gap between physical and emotional/cognitive maturity may result in a tendency to act on impulse, experiment with various activities (including sexual activities), sometimes without understanding the unpleasant consequences that may arise from such experimentation. The need for peer acceptance can be overwhelmingly strong, and hinder one’s ability to act responsibly. Given the pressures faced by the middle adolescent from within themselves and from peers, it is important to build a strong sense of self-worth, personal conviction and an understanding of the possible consequences of sexual behaviour.
- Through the Sexuality Education lessons, secondary students will have the opportunity to develop a positive self-esteem, develop their character, and expand their understanding and repertoire of skills to deal with various issues related to sexuality, which are of prime concern at this age.
LESSON SCHEDULE (IP YEAR 1 TO IP YEAR 4)
At Temasek Junior College, the following Sexuality Education lessons will be taught in 2023:
IP1
Unit |
Lesson Title / Duration |
Lesson Overview & Objectives
|
Time Period |
Respectful Relationships & Safety |
Steady or Not Lesson 1 (60 mins) | This lesson helps students understand more about relationship building and the different types of love (e.g. familial, platonic, romantic). They will have the opportunity to better understand the considerations involved in making responsible decisions towards dating and romantic relationships and understand how to build healthy and supportive relationships, both online and offline. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 4 |
Being Aware, Being Safe
Lesson 2 (60 mins)
|
This lesson is conducted separately for boys and girls in different classrooms, so that the students will feel more comfortable during the discussions. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 7 |
|
More than Meets the Eye Lesson 3 (60 mins) | This lesson touches on two areas relevant to an
adolescent’s curiosity on matters related to sexuality – masturbation and
pornography. Students will gain awareness of the health, legal and moral issues
related to viewing, downloading and/or distributing pornography. While students
may perceive watching pornography as a private issue without consequences to
bear, they will learn that it could lead to addiction and/or other risky sexual
behaviours.
This
lesson is conducted separately for boys and girls in different classrooms, so
that the students will feel more comfortable during the discussions. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 3 Week 5 |
IP2
Unit |
Lessons / Duration |
Lesson Overview & Objectives
|
Time Period |
Respectful Relationships & Safety |
A Role for Everyone Lesson 1 (60 mins) | This lesson focuses on how the family, culture and
society can influence one’s perception of their gender roles. Students will
learn what gender stereotypes are (e.g. males traditionally as breadwinners
and females traditionally as doing household chores) and how gender
stereotypes are formed. Students
will discuss how one’s understanding of gender roles should not be limited by
gender stereotypes, for example women can be pilots, while men can be nurses.
Students learn to focus on their personal
strengths to pursue their interests and build their self- confidence. Students will also learn about the definitions
of biological sex, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.
They will learn to treat everyone with respect and empathy. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 4 |
Online Safety Challenge Lesson 2A (60 mins) | This lesson is conducted separately for boys and girls in different classrooms, so that the students will feel more comfortable during the discussions. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 7 |
|
Do I or Don’t I Lesson 2B (60 mins) | This lesson focuses on respect for personal boundaries;
and how to be safe from risky sexual behaviour, teenage pregnancy and abortion.
Students will learn the importance of respecting one another’s boundaries in
relationships. This lesson emphasises the importance of responsible
decision-making, the value of sexual abstinence, the need for help seeking.
Students will be aware of Singapore laws protecting minors, such as the legal
consequences of having sex with a minor, abortion and the abandonment of
babies. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 3 Week 3 |
IP3
Unit |
Lessons / Duration |
Lesson Overview & Objectives
|
Time Period |
Respectful Relationships & Safety | Love Yourself, Love Others Lesson 1A (60 mins) | This lesson focuses on dating respectfully in
healthy relationships. Students will learn about self-esteem, their sources of
influence (e.g. friends’ perception) on self-esteem, the impact of one’s
self-esteem on our mental well-being as well as relationships with others.
Students will also learn how emotional reactions can affect relationships
positively or negatively. Students will also learn that maturity and readiness
are important when entering into a dating relationship. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 4 |
Mending a Broken Heart Lesson 1B (60 mins) | Students will learn how to manage their emotions
if they were to face a breakup and know that relationship building involves
person emotions and vulnerabilities, and changes and challenges. Students
will also learn that a decision to end a relationship will have consequences
on oneself and others, and that grief and loss due to rejections and broken
relationships is normal and that one can recover from the experience. They
will learn that there are healthy ways of coping with breakdowns in
relationships and that family and friends are important pillars of support. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 2 Week 7 |
|
When Respect Takes
Centre Stage Lesson 2
(60 mins) | This lesson aims to help students think critically and
make informed decisions in the contexts of sexting and voyeurism, and
encourages students to exert a positive influence as a respectful online user.
It will also deepen students’ convictions about making moral decisions by
taking into consideration the impact of their decisions and actions on their
well-being and safety, their loved ones, and the community. Students learn that
they have a right and responsibility to be safe and protect their personal
space and body. They also learn that sexting, voyeurism and other related
sexual offences are never justifiable and they can seek help in times of need. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
|
Term 4 Week 2 |
IP4
Unit | Lessons / Duration | Lesson Overview & Objectives | Time Period |
Respectful Relationships & Safety | Levelling the Ground Lesson 1 (60 mins) | This lesson aims to help students think critically
about gender stereotypes that exist in our society in the contexts of career
and family (e.g. males typically perceived as main breadwinners and females
typically perceived as main caregivers in the family), and the impact of these
stereotypes on individuals. Students will learn to be aware of possible gender
stereotypes that may affect one’s family and future decisions. They will also
learn to reframe their perspectives and not judge others based on their own or
others’ values and principles, with regard to gender stereotypes. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
| Term 2 Week 5 |
When Love Hurts Lesson 2 (60 mins) | This lesson aims to help students
recognise unhealthy relationships and build their help-seeking skills.
Students will learn to identify potential signs of an unhealthy relationship
and recognise the different forms of dating violence. They will get to understand
why dating violence occurs, why victims often feel “trapped” in such
unhealthy relationships, and how one can get out of such a relationship
safely. Students will learn when, where and how to seek help from trusted
adults (e.g. family, teachers, school counsellors) in the supportive
environment that they have if they or their friends are involved in an
unhealthy relationship. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
| Term 2 Week 7 | |
For Better or For Worse Lesson 3 (60 mins) | This lesson focuses on building a positive
relationship with one’s partner in a marriage. Students will understand that
while a marriage, defined in Singapore as a union between a man and a woman, requires
mutual commitment and effort like the other relationships in their lives,
what sets a marriage apart is its lifelong commitment. Students will learn
that what really matters to sustain and maintain a long-term romantic
relationship leading to marriage is understanding the other person’s
perspective and effectively communicating with each other. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
| Term 3 Week 5 | |
There’s Always More to a Story Lesson 4 (60 mins) | In this lesson, students will revisit the impact of pornography and deepen their understanding on its impact on relationships. Students will also learn about revenge pornography, including its definition and legal provisions. They will also learn that they can turn to trusted adults for help in setting boundaries and overcoming difficulties in making sound decisions, to prevent themselves from encountering danger. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
| Term 3 Week 8 |
eTeens Programme (for IP Year 3)
eTeens is a
programme developed by Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with the
Ministry of Education, to provide Secondary 3 students with accurate
information on STIs, HIV and protection from a health perspective. eTeens is conducted in two segments – a
mass talk segment and a classroom-based programme.
Students are
taught skills such as decision-making, assertiveness and negotiation to say
“no” to sex and negative peer pressure. They also learn that the impact of
STIs/HIV extends beyond themselves and involves their family. Abstinence and
upholding family values are the key messages. The desired outcome of the eTeens programme is that students are
empowered to make wise, informed and sensible decisions.
Topics/Lessons |
Programme Learning Objectives |
Time Period |
Mass Talk by HPB appointed vendor |
|
Term 3 Week 6 |
Classroom-based Lesson |
|
Term 3 Week 8 |
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
- Parents may opt their children out of Sexuality Education lessons, eTeens and/or supplementary sexuality education programmes by MOE-approved external providers.
- Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Sexuality Education lessons need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be available via Parents’ Gateway or a hard copy will be distributed to parents. The form is also downloadable here. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 20/02/2023.
- Parents who wish to opt their children out of the eTeens programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be available via Parents’ Gateway or a hard copy will be distributed to parents. The form is also downloadable here. A hardcopy of the form, duly completed and signed, is to be submitted to the school office by 20/02/2023.
- Parents can contact the school at 6442 8066 for discussion or to seek clarification about the school’s Sexuality Education programme.
- Parents, who wish to attend the College’s Sexuality Education programmes, should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.