THE employees union of the Department of Education yesterday said Secretary Mona Valisno should resign for integrating sexual education into the curriculum of the elementary and secondary levels.

"It’s very degrading for a secretary at that to allow sex education in the elementary level. Such action is a product of imagination detached from reality. She does not know what she is talking about," DepEd-National Employees Union (DepEd-NEU) president Domingo Alidon said.

The 40,000-strong group said instead of sex education, "what should be taught is reproductive health education in order to preserve values among Filipino children."

It likewise called on Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral to step down.

"Secretaries Valisno and Cabral deserve our highest condemnation. They have no right to exist as department secretaries not even for one day for stating such horrible and deplorable statements. They should not wait for June 30 to step down from their post," Alidon said.

Cabral has been quoted by news reports that sex education should be taught as early as kindergarten.

Valisno has clarified that sex education will not teach students about sex but on the science of reproduction, physical care and hygiene, correct values and the norms of interpersonal relations to avoid pre-marital sex and teen age pregnancy.

DepEd has already set a meeting with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and other stakeholders on June 18 to present its side on the sex education program. – Ashzel Hachero

Source: Malaya Since 1983, 7 June 2010