Reflection over the guidelines on sex education in school, 1997

Recent research findings reveal that youngsters today are getting more sexually active than their predecessors. Based on these findings, a new set of Guidelines on Sex Education in Schools was published 1997. This chapter attempts to make an analysis of the Guidelines. The conclusion is that the Guidelines have broadened the concept of sex education and substantiated the content according to societal needs. However, many problems, especially in the aspect of implementation, are not yet solved. This chapter recommends that the Government should formulate a definite policy in the implementation of the Guidelines and the co-operation among school administrators, teachers, and parents should be secured to ensure that the Guidelines are properly understood and accepted. Research on the effectiveness of sex education program should also be carried out as basis for further revisions of the Guideline. Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.