Experts in the field of medicine and professors should be teaching adolescent children about reproductive health, instead of teachers with differing specializations, a congressman said.
In an exclusive interview on Isyung Pambayan with Milky Rigonan on Sunday, February 2, District Representative of the City of Pasig and Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Roman Romulo, said that Section 14 of the "The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law," also known as the RH Law, clearly states that 10 to 19-year-old students should be taught by adequately trained teachers following proper consultation with concerned groups, such as government agencies and medical associations.
“Alam nating mayroon talagang rising cases of teenage pregnancies, at ito yung sagot: ‘yung maayos, proper na pagturo ng sex education. ‘Yung reproductive health lang,” Romulo said.
The Congressman agreed that some lawmakers have suggested having specialists teach RH Education for one or two days, pointing out that teachers are “overloaded” who have teaching and non-teaching duties.
“Ngayon, overload na ang ating mga teachers ng iba-ibang subjects na tinuturo nila. Idadagdag pa natin ang isang maselan na subject matter. Kaya ang suggestion talaga ng ibang mambabatas: sa ngayon, ang dapat gawin ng Department of Education, ay kumuha ng mga dalubhasa na pupwedeng one or two days, sila na ‘yung magtuturo na diretso para talagang maging very objective and scientific,” Romulo said.
Recently, the Committee noted that reproductive education typically begins earlier than prescribed by law, although the Department of Education (DepEd) reasoned that the younger students are only taught the basic body parts.
It was also discovered that teachers would only undergo a five-day training period, to which the Committee stressed that the subject matter of Reproductive Health (RH) Education is delicate and entails intensified training.
He confirmed that Education Secretary Sonny Angara has ordered the agency’s executive committee to review the curriculum, and to revise Department Order (DO) 31, series of 2018 as needed.
