Malaysia scraps plan to introduce sex education in schools

Apr 27, 2010, 15:06 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia said Tuesday it has scrapped plans to introduce comprehensive sex education classes in schools as part of efforts to reduce a increasing numbers of unwanted teenage pregnancies.

The government had mooted the proposal last year following police records showing that at least 100 babies are abandoned each year in Malaysia. Other statistics show that every 10 days, an abandoned baby is found in the capital Kuala Lumpur alone.

The sex education proposal won praise from some parents, but most teachers were reportedly uncomfortable with the idea, saying they were already overworked and not qualified to teach the subject.

Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi told Parliament on Tuesday that the government had decided not to teach sex education as a separate class, but said it would be included in existing subjects like language classes, biology, science and religious education.

He said the government would hold training sessions for teachers to conduct lessons involving sexual reproduction, adding that parents needed to play a bigger role in teaching their children.

'Parents' openness in discussing matters related to sex with their children and support from other parties could indirectly enhance the effectiveness of the curriculum in schools,' Puad was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.