1. Sexuality education (SEd) aims to help our young understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy relationships with the opposite sex and to teach them how to make responsible choices. It is premised on the importance of the heterosexual married family as the basic unit of society, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.

2. The goals of SEd are to:

provide accurate and adequate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity so that pupils are able to make informed decisions;
impart intra- and inter-personal skills of problem-solving, decision-making and effective communication so that pupils are able to build responsible and rewarding relationships; and
inculcate positive values and attitudes of sexuality so that pupils develop a respect for themselves and others as sexual beings, in line with the national value of the family as the basic unit of society.

3. The key messages of SEd are:

Build healthy futures for yourself, family and society
Healthy relationships based on love and respect are the foundation for strong families
Casual sex can lead to unwanted pregnancies, STIs/HIV and AIDS which can harm and hurt your loved ones.

You may click on the link http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/ for more information on MOE's Sexuality Education.

OVERVIEW OF BENDEMEER SECONDARY SCHOOL'S SED PROGRAMME FOR 2009

4. Sexuality education in schools is taught in both the formal curriculum and co-curricular programmes. These are covered under four main themes: Human Development, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Health and Behaviour, and, Societal Influences.

Formal Curriculum

5. The curricular subjects in which topics on sexuality are incorporated include

For more information on the above subjects, you may wish to visit http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/programmes/social-emotional-learning/sexuality-education/. Co-Curricular ProgrammesGrowing Years (GY) Programme: i."The Teenage Years" (Lower Sec) packageii. "Sense & Sexuality" (Upper Sec) package

6. The values and attitudes of our youth towards sexuality are increasingly being 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 convictions and an understanding of the possible consequences of sexual behaviour.

7. Through "The Teenage Years" and "Sense & Sexuality", secondary students will have opportunity to develop a positive self esteem, build their character, expand their understanding and repertoire of skills to deal with various issues related to sexuality, which are of prime concern at this age.

At Bendemeer Secondary School, the following lessons from the GY series are covered in 2009: Lower Secondary

Target Levels	Topics/Lessons	What pupils will learn:	Time Period
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Healthy Relationships (within family, between friends and persons of opposite sex)	i) The underlying value for healthy relationships is respect	Term 1
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Crushes and love	i) How to differentiate between love and crushes	Term 1
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Going Steady (Correct Age)	i) How to evaluate the consequences and issues relating to going steady	Term 1
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Going Steady (Peer Pressure)	i) Pupils will be able to make sound or informed judgement on the influence of friends on their value system.	Term 2
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Pornography & effects of pornography	i) Identify pornography and understand what it is and does ii) Understand that possession and distribution of pornography is illegal.	Term 2
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Friends first, friends forever	i) Understand the importance of forging lasting friendships.	Term 2
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Healthy communication on the Net	i) Express their views about chatting on the Net and be aware of the potential/possible dangers of it.	Term 3
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Knowing your body	i) 1) Knowing the body anatomy ii) 2) Understanding your body and changes at puberty iii) Relate (1) & (2) with issues of self-esteem, self-confidence and learning to accept our body image	Term 3
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	Public display of affection	i) Understand that certain public display of affection is not considered proper behaviour in our society	Term 3
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	What's in a Gender 1 ( Awareness of differences)	i) Identify the differences between males and females ii) Evaluate their views toward self and others in relation to gender differences and 'stereotypes'.	Term 3
Lower Sec (Sec 1 & 2)	What's in a gender 2 (Changes and Messages)	i) Distinguish between biologically-based and socially-conditioned gender characteristics	Term 4

Target Levels	Topics/Lessons	What pupils will learn:	Time Period
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Healthy Relationships (within family, between friends and persons of opposite sex)	i) The underlying value for healthy relationships is respect	Term 1
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Crushes and love	i) How to differentiate between love and crushes	Term 1
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Going Steady (Correct Age)	i) How to evaluate the consequences and issues relating to going steady	Term 1
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Going Steady (Peer Pressure)	i) Pupils will be able to make sound or informed judgement on the influence of friends on their value system.	Term 2
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Pornography & effects of pornography	i) Identify pornography and understand what it is and does ii) Understand that possession and distribution of pornography is illegal.	Term 2
Upper Sec (Sec 3,4 & 5)	Friends first, friends forever	i) Understand the importance of forging lasting friendships.	Term 2

Topics/Lessons	What pupils will learn:	Time Period
Mass Talk by HPB appointed vendor	i) Awareness of the different STIs and HIV/AIDS ii) Modes of transmission iii) Modes of protection, specifically the use of condom	Term 2
Class-based Lesson 1: Decision-Making	i) Consequences in any decision they make regarding sexual intercourse ii) Decision-making is a process that can be learnt iii) It is important to have correct and accurate information to make the right decisions regarding one's sexual health iv) How to make decisions that will reduce the risk to their sexual health.	Term 2
Class-based Lesson 2: Assertiveness	i) What is assertive behaviour? ii) How can one respond to persuasion assertively	Term 2
Class-based Lesson 3: Negotiation	i) How to negotiate one's way out of a negative situation by applying skills learnt from Lesson 2 ii) Assessing situations to aid the control of impulses in sexual behaviour iii) Revision of risk reduction for STIs/HIV (learnt earlier in mass lecture).	Term 2

i. Parents can opt their children out of the entire sexuality education programme or for individual topics, talks or workshops.

ii. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Growing Years Series need to complete an opt-out form:

a. Opt-out Form (English)

b. Opt-out Form (Chinese)

c. Opt-out Form (Malay)

d. Opt-out Form (Tamil)

iii. Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Breaking Down Barries Programme need to complete an opt-out form.

iv. Parents can attend the sexuality education programmes by external providers with their children if they wish to. Parents should contact

the school to make the necessary arrangements.

v. For more information, please contact the school at 62927616 or email to bendemeer_ss@moe.edu.sg if you would like to discuss or

seek clarifications about our school's sexuality education programme.