By Gwendolyn Ng my paper Wednesday, Jun 27, 2012

Sexuality education in schools is being updated and, from next year, primary, secondary and junior college students will be taught how to navigate social-networking platforms safely in order to help them avoid sexual predators, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.

"Teenagers today are quite different from those two or three decades ago, because of the kinds of influences that they are subjected to, (as well as) the accessibility of information," said Ms Grace Ng, MOE's Guidance Branch deputy director.

The impact of social media should not be underestimated, said Ms Ng at a press conference on the upcoming "refreshed" sexuality education programme for students from primary to junior college levels.

For instance, students will be taught about the boundaries when it comes to engaging in relationships on social-networking sites.

This will be done by engaging students in discussions, using case studies garnered from newspapers or fictional scenarios.

The new curriculum will be rolled out in stages from next year, starting with upper primary and lower secondary students. The new programmes will be available to all levels, including junior college students, by 2014.

Following feedback from students, curriculum content on skills in handling relationships with a person of the opposite sex will also be beefed up.

There will be a core of at least 10 specially selected teachers in each school to teach sexuality education. These teachers must be comfortable teaching the subject and be able to build rapport with students.

They should also practise mainstream values, as described by MOE, said Ms Ng.

The rest is here:
Sexuality education to promote online safety