Sexuality Education

MOE SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

1. 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.

2. The Goals of Sexuality Education are to:
   i. 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;
   ii. 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
   iii. 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.

3. The Key Messages of Sexuality Education are:
   i. Love and respect yourself as you love and respect others;
   ii. Build positive relationships based on love and respect (which are the foundation for strong families);
   iii. Make responsible decisions for yourself, your family and society; and
   iv. 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 VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE’S SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR 2023

1. 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.

Sexuality Education:

1. The focus for Sexuality Education at Pre-University is on respectful relationships. Specifically, the JC/CI package covers Interpersonal Relationships, with themes of Human Development, Sexual Health, Sexual Behaviour, and Culture, Society and Law woven into the main focus on relationships.

At Victoria Junior College, the following Sexuality Education lessons will be taught in 2023:

eTeens Programme:

1. eTeens is a programme developed by Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, to provide JC/CI Year 1 students with accurate information on STI/HIV and protection from a health perspective so as to enable them to make wise, informed, and sensible decisions.

2. Students learn the health, social and financial implications of STIs/HIV on an individual and the family if he/she gets infected with STIs/HIV and the importance of responsible decision-making and knowing where to seek help. 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.

At Victoria Junior College, the eTeens programme will be implemented as follows in 2023:

Information for Parents

1. Parents may opt their children out of Sexuality Education and/or supplementary Sexuality Education programmes by MOE-approved external providers.

2. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Sexuality Education lessons need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be distributed to parents at the start of the year and is also downloadable here. The completed form is to be submitted by 12/04/2023.

3. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the eTeens 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 here. The completed form is to be submitted by 12/04/2023.

4. Parents can contact the school at 64485011 for discussion or to seek clarification about the school’s Sexuality Education programme.