PARENT ATTITUDE TOWARD THE TEACHING OF SEX EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
Children manifest
different character at different stages of growth and development. It is the
responsibilities of the parent to study these formative years of their children
coupled with the best education that will suit each formative year. No action
in childhood is meaningless or without purpose but because some parent do not
understand them, the children are misinformed from outside about some crucial
issues of life such as sex. Owanamam (2003).
Sexuality is a central aspect of
being human throughout life (WHO, 2002). According to the World Health
Organization (WHO) sexuality encompasses sex, gender identities and roles,
sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is
experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes,
values, behaviuors, practices, roles and relationships. Sexuality is often
broadly defined as the social construction of a biological drive (WHO, 2002)
which often deals with issues such as whom one has sex with, in what ways, why,
under what circumstances and with what outcomes a person engages in sex (NACC,
2002). Thus, sexuality pertains to the totality of being human - being a female
or male - and this suggests a multidimensional perspective of the concept of
sexuality which is shaped by biological, psychological, economic, political,
social, cultural and religious factors operating within a particular culture in
each society.
There is the period of
transition to maturity in every child. At the end of this stage the child
becomes an adult. He now understands rules which they accept as laws that must
never be broken. The responsibility of the parents during these stage are to
lay more emphases on the teaching that deals with moral because morality can
only develops when people know what is right and wrong Daroch (2000).
Sex education has not
been given much attention in our school systems and this creating a lot of
problems among our youths in all education levels. The alarming rules of early
pregnancies have motivated efforts to the need to educate our students on
matters of sex and thereby delay their practices of sex till maturity or after
marriage when they will be ripe for it.
Population growth in the
world if not controlled, the earth will not be able to accommodate the
additional growth at human population in few years to come.
The population is
therefore kept in control in the developed countries by decreasing birth rates
through the method of sex education being introduced into the school curriculum
and family planning methods where the use of condoms and other types of
contraceptive are being taught. Daroch (2000) about 40% of all the young women
might have become pregnant before they turn twenty years (Alan Cuttenancher
Institute 2004).
There are many advocators
in the support of the introduction of sex education in the school curriculum
such as Doyle J, Egendorf L, Forrest S, Vicki S, Oakley A, to name just few. These
are the educationists, medical practitioners, social welfare workers, parents,
mass media and the government. The people in support of the opinion of sex
education have different views as to what sex education is, how it can be
introduced and the agencies that should be responsible.
This research work is
therefore carried out grades at which it is desirable into the school
curriculum, the method of organizing the programme, the content and the role of
government as regards sex education. The research work will also be used to
bring out the consequences of privative reproductive behaviours in young
children, the disadvantages or the effect of the use of contraceptives, the
reason behind some parent rejection of sex education and how they can be made
to be involved in giving sex education to their children as well and not under
the school setting alone.
Statement
of the problem
The issue of sex
education brings out the fact that emphasis will be placed on one of the major
problems going on in the schools in particular and the society in general.
Sex education has been a
problem in the school system in the areas of how the students, parents and
society perceive what it is and how it should be organized in the formal school
system.
The problems centered on
the following areas
i.
What sex education is
ii.
Age grades that should be involved in the system
iii.
Agencies to handle sex education
iv.
Environment under which its desirable
v.
Its inculcation and contents in the school curriculum
vi.
The fear of parents about sex education
Therefore, the focus of
this study is on the problems highlighted and the appropriate solution
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study
is to enlighten the parents as well as the students especially the ones in
Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State on the concept of sex
education, effects, age grades to which sex education is desirable, its content
and agencies to handle it, the study is said to achieve the following
objectives
I.
To find out the opinions of Christian and Muslim parents about sex
education
II.
To determine the reasons for the need of sex education in the
school system
III.
To determine the age grades to be taught
IV.
To determine when and where to teach sex education
V.
To determine the agency that should handle it
VI.
To determine the effects of sex education in schools
Significance of the study
The impact of sex education through this research work
will go a long way in making our youths and adolescents in schools to live
happily and reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexual
transmitted deceases. The following advantages will be achieved through this
research work.
i.
The outcome of the study will help to educate the parents, adults
and students about the concept of sex education.
ii.
The result of the study will also help the teachers, both
Christian and Muslim parents to have necessary information on how to cope with
constant anxieties, scandals and numerous of students about sex education.
iii.
It will enable some
voluntary organizations, like Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria
(P.P.F.N), the National Council of Men and Women Christian Society (N.C.M.C.S)
address themselves to societal problems especially in relation to sex education
among youths and thereby embarking on the likely solution towards them.
iv.
It will help the ministry of education to plan and establish
training for the drop outs and delinquent youths in order to make them learn
and thereby become useful to the community.
v.
It will check the high rate of prostitution and unmarried mothers
within our society.
vi.
Reduction of drug addiction among our ladies.
vii.
It will also check the problems of rapid rate of our population in
our country.
Research Questions
The following research
questions have been raised to guide the study.
i.
How did the parents understand the concept of sex education?
ii.
Why do we need sex education in the schools?
iii.
Do the parents support or agreed that sex education should be
inculcated into the school curriculum?
iv.
At what age do the parents believe that sex education should start
with the children?
v.
What do the parents think should be the content of sex education
in the school curriculum?
vi.
Which agencies should be responsible for the teaching of sex
education?
Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis on which this study will be based on is,
null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis.
The null hypothesis will be represented by Ho why the
alternative hypothesis will be represented by Hi
Hypothesis 1
Ho: Schools are not required to teach comprehensive sex education
H1: schools are require
to teach to teach comprehensive sex education
Hypothesis 2
Ho. Sex education
programmes will not reduce sexual behaviour risk in school adolescents
Ho: Sex education
programmes will reduce sexual behavior risk in school adolescents.
Definition of Terms and Variables
Sex: is the copulation between the pennies and the female
vagina where the dynamic potential to create life exist in the past, present or
future from said union.
Education: it is the aggregate of all process by which a
child or young adult develops the abilities, attitudes and forms of behaviour
which are positive value to the society in which he lives.
Sex education: sex education is a process of making the
individual to develop a positive and wholesome attitude towards sex.
Adolescence: adolescence is a Latin verb which means “to
grow up” into maturity. It is therefore referred to as the transition period
between childhood and adulthood.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF
RELATED LITERATURE
This study has drawn inspiration from the following
related work on sex education:
1.
The concept of sex education.
2.
The age grades at which sex education is desirable.
3.
Agency that should be responsible for the teaching of sex
education in the formal school system.
4.
In corporation of sex education into the formal school curriculum.
5.
What should be the content in the school curriculum.
6.
The fear of some parents who did not support sex education.
7.
The implication of sex education
