The Ministry of Education will allow secondary schools nationwide to teach students about HIV/AIDS prevention despite fears that the move will encourage youths to become sexually active at an earlier age.
Speaking at a cabinet-provincial governors meeting at Lao International Cooperation and Training Centre in Vientiane yesterday, Minister of Education, Prof Dr Somkhot Mangnomek said the ministry had added knowledge of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention into lower secondary school curriculum.
The new curriculum will be printed and distributed to formal schools nationwide in 2010, he said as quoted in his report to the meeting.
Some people expressed concerns that teaching young students about HIV/AIDS prevention including condom use, would be another way of telling them to have sex and that it was acceptable to put what they learnt into practice .
They also said the students would feel no apprehension regarding sexual intercourse with their young partners as they would know how to prevent infection and pregnancy.
These unnamed people added that in their opinion, such a move to increase sex education amongst young vulnerable people contradicted the fine values of Lao culture.
As in many cultures, frank and honest discussion about sexual intercourse is a taboo subject in Laos .
Generally speaking, parents and children do not talk about these issues directly.
Although many people believe such coyness is a positive aspect of the culture, there are negatives.
As a result of lack of information, young people do not know to prevent themselves from getting infected with diseases or prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Secondary School Department Director General, Mr Ly Fong admitted yesterday there were a number of people, especially the elderly, who disagreed with the move to teach secondary schools students how to use condoms.
However, he said it was necessary to teach youth how to prevent themselves from getting infected with dangerous diseases to slow the growing incidences of preventable infection in the country.
About 3,000 Lao people were infected with HIV between 1990 and 2008, according to a report from the Ministry of Health. Many more have sexually transmitted diseases, often without knowing it.
Mr Ly Fong said the Ministry of Education would also teach life skills to secondary school students, encouraging them to delay sexual intercourse even if they have boy or girlfriends.
He explained that students would be told that having intercourse is not the appropriate way to express their affection.
Mr Ly Fong said the ministry had already allowed health campaign officials to disseminate information in some schools.
He said the ministry was seeking cooperation from international organisations to train teachers to educate about HIV/AIDS and prevention of other STIs so they can deliver an effective message to students.
A number of international organisations have been pushing the government to provide HIV/AIDS information to young people for many years, believing education is much more realistic and effective than attempting to ban young people from engaging in sexual intercourse.
Nowadays, many Lao people still marry when they're teenagers, especially in the rural areas, & some Lao Soung ethnic groups.
& in the past, during our parents' & grandparents' generation, Lao people also married young & started having kids in their late teens.
All those in the villages, since they were babies they've seen all the farm animals having sex everywhere. There was no real need to talk about sex, parents knew that their kids already knew :P
However, disease prevention & birth control are things not many know well. Education level is still relatively low, Science & Biology curriculum is limited & not really updated.
So it's good that students get to learn about all these from a reliable, accurate source, rather than get misguided ideas from friends or even TV & movies. Much better than having HIV spread throughout Laos.
I agree, sex education should be part of the curriculum. Youth today is different from youth before. NOw they are more daring, especailly in experiencing things that are expected to provide pleasure and comfort. Everyday they are exposed to situations that translates to sex, through the internet, television and even mobile phones. The temptation is just around the corner so its better to prepare, educate and empower them how to deal when faced with the situation. At least how to protect themselves in case they decided to submit themselves into such activity either because of love relationship or experimentation.
As Lavender said, what you do not know will hurt you." Or another way of saying is what you know will protect you.
SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOL SHOULD BE A PRIORITY SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMME AS MANY TEENAGERS ARE DROPING OUT O SCHOOLS DUE TO PREGNANCIES AND ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SEX IS NOW TAKEN AS A PLEASURE THAT ATTRIBUTES TO HUMAN DESIRES AT THE PARTICULAR TIME
