essay on sex education in simple language

The Edvocate

• Lynch Educational Consulting
• Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
• Write For Us
• The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
• The Edvocate Podcast
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Assistive Technology
• Best PreK-12 Schools in America
• Child Development
• Classroom Management
• Early Childhood
• EdTech & Innovation
• Education Leadership
• First Year Teachers
• Gifted and Talented Education
• Special Education
• Parental Involvement
• Policy & Reform
• Best Colleges and Universities
• Best College and University Programs
• HBCU’s
• Higher Education EdTech
• Higher Education
• International Education
• The Awards Process
• Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
• Award Seals
• GPA Calculator for College
• GPA Calculator for High School
• Cumulative GPA Calculator
• Grade Calculator
• Weighted Grade Calculator
• Final Grade Calculator
• The Tech Edvocate
• AI Powered Personal Tutor

College Minor: Everything You Need to Know

14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, simple & easy sex education essay topics.

Simple & Easy Sex Education Essay Titles

• The Other Side: the Importance of Sex Education in High School
• The Ongoing Debate Over Sex Education and Its Influence on Our Children
• Why Sex Education for Children Is Very Important
• The Importance of Sex Education in Today’s Schools
• The Religious and Cultural Aspect of Sex Education
• Single Sex Education Are Becoming More Complicated Countries
• Why There Should Be Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools
• The Reasons Why Sex Education Will Help Reduce Teen Pregnancy
• The Importance and Need for Sex Education to Deal with Teenage Pregnancy
• What Sex Education Topics Are Most Effective in Elementary Schools
• Gender Discrimination for Single Sex Education
• How Sex Education Can Change Teenage Sexual Behaviour
• Why Teens Need Comprehensive Sex Education

Good Essay Topics on Sex Education

• The Importance of Sex Education in America and to American Teenagers
• The Main Features of Sex Education in Traditional Societies and Its Importance
• The Effects of State‐Mandated Abstinence‐Based Sex Education on Teen Health Outcomes
• Why Sex Education Should Be Taught in Schools
• The Issue of Teaching Sex Education in Public Schools
• The Importance of Teaching Sex Education and Homosexuality
• The Three Forms of Sex Education in the United States
• The Inclusion of Sex Education in the School Curriculum
• When Values Clash with Faith: Sex Education in Religious Based Schools”
• What Are the Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Hong Kong Secondary Schools
• Should Sex Education Be Increased in Schools to Curb Problems in Society?
• The Impact of Single Sex Education on Girl ‘S Academic Performance
• The Need for a Comprehensive Sex Education in American Schools
• The Benefits of Sex Education in Public Schools
• Why High schools Should Have Sex Education Starting Freshman Year

Research Questions About Sex Education

• What Age Should Sex Education Be Taught?
• How Should Sex Education Be Taught?
• What Are the Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Hong Kong Secondary Schools?
• Can Single-Sex Education Improve Students’ Academic Achievement in Middle School?
• What Sex Education Topics Are Most Effective in Elementary Schools?
• Has the Media and School-Based Sex Education Reduced the Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases?
• Why Should High schools Have Sex Education Starting Freshman Year?
• Does Sex Education Influence Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour of Women?
• Why Is Same-Sex School Education Better?
• How Far Should Schools Teach Sex Education?
• Why Is Sex Education for Children Very Important?
• Does Sex Education Work?
• Why Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?
• How Can Sex Education Change Teenage Sexual Behaviour?
• Why Do Teens Need Comprehensive Sex Education?
• Will You Choose CoEd or Single-Sex Education?
• Our Current Sex Education, Why Doesn’t It Work?
• Demand for Sexual Services in Britain: Does Sex Education Matter?
• Co-Education and Single-Sex Education: Which Will Benefit Children More?
• Why Do Teens Need Sex Education?
• When Values Clash with Faith: Sex Education in Religious Based Schools?
• Should LGBT History Be Taught in Schools?
• Which City or Country Has Sexual Education for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
• How to Educate the 4th-6th Elementary Student About Sex?
• How Successful Is Abstinence-Only Sex Education in Reduce Teen Pregnancy?
• Is Introduction Sex Education in Schools Useful?
• Does the School Provide Enough Information on Sex Education?

Simple & Easy Monarchy Essay Topics

What is an authentic assessment: everything you ....

Matthew Lynch

Related articles more from author, good research topics about sars, good research topics about immigration reform, good essay topics on skin cancer, beer essay topics, writing prompts for drugs, interesting risk assessment essay topics.

The Importance of Sexual Education Essay

Personal sexuality.

Sexual education has an integral role in removing one’s doubts on sexuality and sex related topics. It has often been identified that sexual education helps one to get a clear picture of the male and female sexuality. The sexual counseling and orientation class that I received was really effective in taking away the veil of sexual illiteracy and it enabled me to understand what human sexuality is. Regarding my personal experience with the class, I can identify it as one of the most effective classes which I ever attended and it helped me in changing my concepts about sex. As it was a class that covered almost all the sections of sexuality, the participants got the opportunity in properly identifying and clarifying their doubts on this topic. It was effective to get a clear picture of sexually-transmitted diseases and their evil effects on mankind. The proposed paper is an attempt to explore what sexuality is and the misconceptions of individuals about sexuality, based on personal experience of attending an orientation class on sexuality.

Researchers show their willingness to reach the conclusion that misconceptions and vague beliefs about sexuality contribute severe physical and mental disorder and behavioral problems. Various studies prove that effective orientation courses and sex education programs help to solve sexual problems and permit a person to mould a desired outcome in a person’s sexual life. The course promotes enormous knowledge and scientific information about sexuality in adolescence. In case of an adolescent, physical and mental changes affect seriously. In case of a male, biological changes such as puberty, growth of sexual organs and sexual attractions towards opposite sex are very common. In my own personal opinion the orientation course helped me to create scientific notions about sexual difficulties and sex-related diseases. The course helped me to deal sex as something serious and responsible phenomena in a person’s life. The web article entitled Sexual Difficulties remarks that; “Sexual difficulties belong to the group of conditions known as psychosomatic disorders, in which the body expresses the distress via a symptom, such as low libido.” ( Sexual Difficulties, p. 1).

Adolescent period is the most crucial time in a person’s life and the detailed description by the course person gives new knowledge about the behavioral changes and disorder problems. Both male and female suffer from lack of love, consideration, respect and proper interaction. Like other people, I also have some vague concepts about sexual changes and psychological impacts on a person’s life. After the orientation course I could understand more about male and female anatomy and their psychological impacts. Through the course I have got an opportunity to comprehend the term gender problem. Effective interaction between the course person and the listeners reduced the complications of the topic and it enabled me to admit sex is not only a means of enjoyment and merrymaking but a vital part of the process of human growth.

Like any other student, I was also not an exception and I had kept a false illusion over sexuality. One of the prominent lessons that I learned during the classes was about the gender issues. As I am one of the members of the male chauvinist society, I had formed my concept of sexuality with male possessing dominance. These classes planted in me the seeds that sexuality is a positive and healthy experience in which man and woman have equal roles. It was the class that cultivated in me the due respect to my opposite sex and I began to regard them equal to me. Understanding of female and male sexual anatomy and physiology helped realizing the genital change and growth in male and female. The transitional period of male and female from adolescence to youthhood is always problematic to children that their ignorance often leads them to mental and physical disorders. Some of the studies have identified children becoming depressed caused with the lack of sexual education. But it is possible for one to say that sexual education is always effective. The words of Dr. D Kirby, et al. make clear this fact when they rightly comment thus, “…there can also be many negative consequences of adolescent sexual behavior.”(Kirby, et al ). Now I am capable of recognizing the real physiological problems of children. I have also understood the ill-effects of prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases.

The course which I attended says how the relationship between partners can make a stronger one. They are of the opinion that if the partners build up a good communication with each other along with a good sexual relationship they can lead their life happily. While going through this class I realized that it is only by making a deep communication I can make my family relationship an ardent one. In the relationship with my partner I find some dissatisfaction because we are not always sharing our likes and dislikes. I think it is because of this there is a great gap between us. Now there is no good relationship between us because there is no deep communication between us. But after attending this class I understood about the relationship between the male and female sexual anatomy and how deep love and communication can help to make a good relation with my partner. I also got a good idea about sexually-transmitted diseases and what all difficulties will be there in the sexual relationship and by hearing the solutions I tried to change my attitudes toward my partner. Earlier I was not concerned about my partner’s wish or difficulties but now I care my partner and I try to understand the difficulties which my partner faces and in the coming days I will take care to make our relationship a success. I understood from the class that if there is a true love between partners and if they try to understand each other one can make their life a fruitful one.

The course gave a lot of valuable information about how to lead a happy and peaceful married life and what are the ways to attain such perfection. The course mainly focused on to have an understanding about the good and bad effects of keeping a sexual relation. The course gave comfortable contents which every one can put into practice. First of all the good content I consider is keeping a deep love and communication between the partners. This information is enough to lead a happy life, because if these two are put into practice there will be no clash and quarrel between the partners in sexual matter. For instance if one does not reveal his or her dissatisfaction about the manner of the partner in sexual relation, it will make a silent pain in the mind of the dissatisfied person and this will lead the person to be in a great hatred to his or her partner and thereby the relation too. So there should be a healthy communication and a kind of ardent love between the partners to avoid such hatred and other similar situations. The other comfortable content I found in the course is the description and discussion of male and female anatomy and physiology as it helps both the partners to understand every likes and dislikes of the other and can mingle with the other in an appropriate way. The discussion about sexual difficulties and solutions are also comfortable as it is highly favorable to know the causes of such difficulties and also the methods to solve those problems. The most important content I found in the course is the discussion about sexually transmitted diseases as it will create awareness among the people who keep different relations. So it will play a crucial role to change such attitudes and thereby the relation. These are the comfortable contents that I found in the course and are valuable to lead a better life.

Male and female anatomy and physiological features constituted more important knowledge for me. Each male and female has his/her own physical and genetic features. Comparing the physical changes of female in adulthood, female development is too fast and noticeable. I think one of the most valuable one is that the course provided proper awareness about inevitable relationship between physical growth and psychological changes. The given information helped me to know more about the structure of both male and female physical organs, especially the various changes of genital organs and their biological functions. The knowledge about opposite sex enabled me to respect persons from opposite sex. Childhood sexuality and its significance in development process were highly thought-provoking areas of the discussion. Genetic abnormalities and various sexual diseases are not familiar topics for me. Jane Coad and Melvyn Dunstall write “There are genetic conditions that result in a range of variable sexual development, such as Klinefelter’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome.” (Coad, and Dunstall, p. 100). The course and orientation programs were helpful to number of people who have only some vague knowledge about personal sexuality.

To conclude, one can infer that there should be attempts to educate children on sexuality and the human body. From my personal experience of attending the class on sexuality, I have understood the importance of sexual education as it helps students to understand persons of their opposite sex. Proper understanding of male and female anatomy and physiological features is important in one’s life. Attending such classes remind one about the significance of a healthy sexual relation and its role in promoting better life situations. Scientific information about sexuality and the transition in the adolescent period also assumes significance. Male biological changes such as, puberty, growth of sexual organs and their sexual attraction to their opposite sex are quite common and if one is totally ignorant of these facts he/she may face some mental stress or in some cases it may lead to mental depression. Regarding sexual relation in married life, one can see that sex and sexual satisfaction have integral roles. Failure in understanding his/her pair in sexual relationship often leads to the ruin of family relationships. So, one is sure of the fact that sexual education has an elite role in one’s life. Proper sexual education should be given to children to avoid sexual illiteracy and sexual crimes.

Works Cited

• Coad, Jane., and Dunstall, Melvyn. Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives . Elsevier Health Science. 2001. Web.
• Kirby, Douglas., etal. School- Based Program to Reduce Sexual Risk Behaviors: a Review of Effectiveness . Public Health Report, 109. 3(1994): 339-360. Pub Med Central Journal List. 2009.Web.
• Sexual Difficulties. Andrology Australia.2006.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 14). The Importance of Sexual Education. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-sexual-education/

"The Importance of Sexual Education." IvyPanda , 14 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-sexual-education/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The Importance of Sexual Education'. 14 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The Importance of Sexual Education." November 14, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-sexual-education/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Importance of Sexual Education." November 14, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-sexual-education/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Importance of Sexual Education." November 14, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-sexual-education/.

• The Anatomy of the Pancreas
• Anatomy of the Pituitary Gland
• Esophagus Anatomy and Physiology
• Aspects of the Anatomy of the Cranial Nerves
• Breast Anatomy and Pathologies on Mammogram
• The Anatomy and Physiology of the Nervous System of a Rat
• Anatomy Diagnosis: Cardiovascular Disease
• Anatomy of Neuron and Neuroplasticity
• The Anatomy of the Knee Joint
• Aspects of the Anatomy of the Scalp
• Theories and Discussions About Multiple Choice Examination
• Interim Budget for Santa School for the Fiscal Year
• Basic Methodology and the Range of Sources Available to Historians
• Bilingual Education: Enhancing Teachers Quality
• Organization Context for Professional Practice

Persuasive Essay Sample: Sexual Education in School Should Be Revised

Everyone cares about their safety and health. With age comes more responsibilities as teenagers develop into adults. Adolescents are expected to make choices regarding their bodies, yet they are not receiving the resources and education needed to make those decisions. Traditional sexual education needs to be revised to help teenagers flourish into adulthood with confidence. Sexual education should be updated to the modern world and taught to all secondary schools to uphold safety; additionally, working for LGBTQ communities to be included and educated beyond abstinence. 

Teenagers who have a complete sexual education are at an advantage with their health and safety. Sex education was introduced in the early 1900s to reduce sexually transmitted diseases (“Education”). This suggests the importance of having sex education to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and keep the body healthy. According to “Sex Education and Abstinence,” “Thirty-nine states, plus Washington, D.C., require sex education and/or HIV education in schools. But only 18 states mandate that sex and HIV education be medically accurate”. This would propose the schools recognize the need for HIV and sex education to be taught to adolescents, yet, not all of the states require sex ed, so countless students are left in the dark and, unfortunately, defeats the purpose of having sex education. According to “Sex Ed Programs in America Need Revising,” “Twenty-eight U.S. states do not even require sex ed to be taught.” The significance of this is that the education that the youth are being taught is not factual, which sets them up for failure later in their future. Providing kids with a complete sex education will allow them to grow more comfortable with their bodies, have healthy perspectives on their sexuality, and make more responsible decisions corresponding to their bodies. Sexual education allows teenagers to have knowledge on the prevention of sexual diseases and to obtain utmost safety. Undoubtedly, technology is used for sexual activity, and teenagers do not know the harm that could cause them. Not to mention, the information the kids do not get in the classroom about sex ed comes from online instead (“Ed”). Interpreted another way, this means that without proper education, teenagers are left curious and look to other resources to answer their questions; therefore, many teens still have unrealistic expectations about their sexual relationships. Another reason sex education needs to be updated, fifty-four percent of teens have admitted to sexting (“Ed”). One can conclude that technology has become a piece of modern equipment for many individuals, so teenagers need to be taught safety about the internet when it involves themselves and a partner. In comparison to keeping adolescents safe from sexual technology, it is equally critical to keep adolescents safe from the risks of fatal complications due to the age of giving birth (“Education”). The significance of this is that female adolescents are in danger because of accidental pregnancies, yet pregnancies can decrease if teens know more about contraceptives and the importance of condoms or safe sex. In addition to decisions, the health risks of teen birth are immense and teenage pregnancy intensely impacts the teens’ future career goals and education. Since the United States has some of the highest accidental pregnancy rates, more futures are at stake (Straub). The importance of this is the increasing future's put at risk means the nation's future is at risk. After all, children are the only chance society has to fix the world's future. The usage of technology is a modern-day routine, so adolescents need to be taught how to safely be on the internet when involving sexual relationships. 

Although new sexualities are being discovered and accepted in society, LGBTQ sexual education is not implemented into most sexual education. A current study shows around nine million Americans identify as a part of the LGBTQ community, with being either gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (“Ed”). Statistics like these reveal the need for sexual education to be updated to make the LGBTQ community present in schools, so all students have the sex ed they need. The current sex education does not recognize the needs of LGBTQ students, which in return, the LGBTQ students are overlooked in the classroom and are at higher rates of risk for various health outcomes (Greenburg). Interpreted another way, this means that LGBTQ students are not receiving the education that suits their lifestyle and, in return, are left in the unknown about their bodies and healthy sexual relationships. With the absence of LGBTQ sexual education in schools, many young LGBTQ members are left uninformed about their health, and the understanding of their bodies (Oliver). This is important because young adults are not receiving the proper education about their bodies but are expected to make acceptable choices regarding their bodies and relationships. This demonstrates how LGBTQ students are trapped to fail when it comes to making decisions about their futures. According to Nation School Climate Survey, only 8.2% of students received LGBTQ sex education; however, this information does not startle many individuals for LGBTQ sex ed is mandated in a minority of U.S. states. Rather than progress to educate the youth in LGBTQ sex education, other states are passing laws against it and causing the educators to do the opposite (Oliver). It is salient to notice how certain states are blocking information that should be instructed to teenagers for a safer and healthier lifestyle. Therefore, these states are holding back proper sexual education and show how biased sex ed is to LGBTQ. Five states allow negative information on homosexuality to be taught, while some schools favor heterosexuality and put it in a positive light (Oliver). This suggests that teens are taught to acknowledge heterosexuality as the only correct way to live. In return, the teens who are a part of the LGBTQ community are left out and have low self-esteem and self-identity. Hence, the request to put LGBTQ sex ed into regular sex education is as prime as teaching heterosexual students about their sex ed. 

Some people believe that teaching the youth abstinence-only education is the only sex ed needed. The parents or adults in the adolescent's life should be the ones to include comprehensive sex ed as they see fit, and religion plays an equally important role as well. However, teaching adolescents comprehensive sex ed will allow teenagers to grow psychologically independent and grow as a person. Knowing about the body will empower the youth to make decisions for themselves and allow independence. If adolescents understand how the body works, the need to turn to dangerous sources to satisfy curiosity will decrease. Educating the youth about sexual relations will help to satisfy any curiosity and reduce sexual risk behaviors. Research shows abstinence-only education does not delay the initiation of sexual activity, so teaching teenagers about sexual relationships would cause no harm or make the teenagers sexually active. Even though people believe abstinence-only education is the best education, teenagers need a complete sexual education to allow psychological and physical growth as an adult. 

Additionally, abstinence-only education does not achieve the goal of preparing the youth for adulthood. Research shows that safe sex information withheld from students by teaching abstinence-only education can cause harm by promoting dangerous stereotypes, condemning teens, and preserving systems of injustice (Greenberg). States with the usage of abstinence-only programs have elevated rates of teen pregnancies and correspond with inflated rates of sexually transmitted diseases and infections (“Teenage”). Research suggests teenagers' who have full coverage of sex ed are fifty percent less likely to have unwanted pregnancies than students who have an abstinence-only education or no sex ed at all (Rawley). Statistics like these reveal the importance of real sex education and why abstinence-plus education needs to be the revised sex-ed all students are taught. According to “Sex Education and Abstinence," “The Board of Education in Texas expands its sex education standards, for the first time in more than two decades, to allow the teaching of birth control methods to middle school students.” This indicates that schools have acknowledged the need for change in sex education and are willing to do more than just abstinence education. Studies indicate that sex education that includes emergency contraceptives has reduced teen pregnancies and avoided 51,000 abortions in 2000; however, students who received poor sex ed are at higher risks to contract an STI (Rawley). One can conclude that having a complete sex education compared to poorer sex-ed is better when making decisions about the body and health. Abstinence plus education is the foremost choice to teach the youth about their body and healthy sexual relationships that will be encountered in their life. 

Ensuring safety and health combined with incorporating LGBTQ communities and educating further on abstinence is more than enough reasons to update and teach sex ed globally. Those who had sex ed are responsible for their health in the future, and healthy citizens create a healthy nation. Therefore, sex ed needs to be updated and taught to all secondary schools globally. The new generation of cultivated adults is accountable for their children's health and their future health. Society is enhanced by merely giving its youth quality sex ed.

Related Samples

• Argumentative Essay Sample: Students (Ages 5-10) Should Have Break Every Hours
• Personal Opinion Essay: Homework Should be Banned
• Essay on Importance Of Cell Phones In The Classroom
• Review on Eight-week Course at Amarillo College
• Personal Narrative Essay: Graduation
• Argumentative Essay on Grading System in Schools Should Be Abolished
• Persuasive Essay on Ontario's School Facilities Need to Be Improved
• Statement of Purpose Example: Mississippi State University M.S. Educational Psychology
• The Debate on Learning a Foreign Language
• Essay Sample on The Forgiveness of Student Loans

Didn't find the perfect sample?

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Sex Education in Schools

How it works

Webster’s Dictionary defines sex education as the “”instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, age of consent, reproductive health, reproductive rights, safe sex, birth control and sexual abstinence”” (Merriam Webster).

In 1964, Dr. Mary Calderone, medical director for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, founded the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) found that young teens through adults lacked accurate information about sex, sexuality, and sexual health (SIECUS, 2011a).

In 1990, SIECUS convened the National Guidelines Task Force, a panel of experts that built a framework within local communities that would design an effective curriculum and/or evaluate existing programs. The result was the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education — Kindergarten — 12th Grade published in 1991. More editions were published in 1996 and 2004 (NGTF, 2004). In today’s modern world, the big controversy is if Sex Education should be in schools.

Sexual Education is needed in public school districts because all teenagers are not informed of the consequences that can occur if they make the decision to have sex. Sex Education can clarify all misconceptions teens may have and has the ability to provide a clear perspective about sex, STDs, and raise the awareness of the prevention of teen pregnancy and STDs to the teen/pre teen population.

In public school districts, all of the staff and courses taken play an important role in basic education to growing children. The staff of all schools have an influence on kids from when they’re five to a grown adult. As societies have come to realize how much influence the schools have on their children, there has become an increasing importance in the need for Sex Education. It is considered important for societies that most individuals are well-informed about sex, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, prevention of pregnancy and STDs, abstinence, and other related topics. Many communities have been encouraging the need for Sex Education in schools.

Research has shown while teen pregnancies are on a decline across the nation, teens are having more sex and having more STIs than ever before. A recent report by the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is that sex education is not happening early enough. The CDC study reveals that nearly 15 percent of 15-year-olds have had sex, and 23 percent of teens didn’t use protection when they lost their virginity. Among teen girls who were sexually experienced, 83 percent told interviewers that they didn’t get formal sex education until after they’d lost their virginity. Without any sexual education, teens go ahead and do what they think is a “”fun”” or “”cool”” idea without being knowledgeable of the precautions they should be taking. Which results in many diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

Many students’ parents and/or guardians may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking to their children openly about such topics, so some teenagers may not get the information they need. Talking about sexuality and such things has never been an easy topic for people especially for certain cultures. Some parents simply choose not to participate in the sexuality education of their children, because they may believe they don’t have the ability to provide the quality and adequate information due to lack of knowledge or the inability to explain what they do not know, or simply feelings awkward or uncomfortable. According to the Greathead 2002 study, parents are the primary sources that children obtain their information from. If the information the children receive is not accurate, it increases the chance of pregnancies or a STD. Additionally, according to the Harrison 2000 study, he found that a large number of children receive misinformation about sexual information or that the information they receive is very little and not direction information. Also looking to the O’Sullivan 2006 study, parents do not want to admit that their children are growing up and feel threatened by their children’s sexual development, Thus; finding it difficult to discuss sexual-related issues with their children, Therefore; causing the need of sexual education in schools to spread awareness to students about sexual related issues that is not provided by parents. In that case, all students can be informed and cautious when it comes to sexual related activities and the cases of STDs and teen pregnancies can decrease.

The hard truth today we face is, a large number of teens are sexually active. According to the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey, in 2015, 41 percent of high school students had had sex at least once. Eleven percent had had four or more sexual partners. Fifty-seven percent of sexually active students had used condoms the last time they had sex, but only 18 percent had used birth control pills, Furthermore; one-fifth of sexually active high school students had used drugs or alcohol before the most recent time they had sex. One in two high school students have had sex. But how many know the risks of sex and how many know how to prevent it? Looking at the facts, not too many. As stated before, most parents don’t teach those factors or if they do discuss the topic, some parents only teach the act of abstinence. One of the biggest issues with abstinence is that it denies adolescents the chance to learn acceptable options of having sex and ways to prevent it other than abstinence. If more schools started teaching the use of condoms and birth control, diseases and pregnancies aren’t as likely. Between 2006–2010 and 2011–2013, there were significant declines in teen females’ reports of having received formal instruction about birth control, STDs, HIV and AIDs, and saying no to sex. There was also a significant decline in adolescent males’ reports of having received formal instruction about birth control. Also, The federal government currently provides funding to evaluate new and innovative adolescent pregnancy prevention approaches, both in and out of school, as well as to replicate existing programs. Evaluations of programs funded under this initiative have shown that roughly one in three had a positive impact—a larger proportion than typically found in evaluation efforts of this nature. Admittedly comprehensive sexual education will teach kids how to have sex more safety or completely prevent it. Comprehensive sex education doesn’t encourage kids to have sex. Just like abstinence-only programs, good comprehensive programs teach students that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and STDs. The difference is that these programs also give students realistic and factual information about the safety of various sexual practices, and how to improve the odds. Many of these programs have resulted in delayed sexual debut, reduced frequency of sex and number of sexual partners, increased condom or contraceptive use, or reduced sexual risk-taking. Sex Ed helps myths related to sex teens have be broken and creates a better understanding for teens.

Many controversies say that sexual education in schools can interfere with certain religions. Nothing about sex education prevents parents from teaching their kids their standards for moral behavior. If anything, having them learn the facts at school frees parents to focus on explaining their own personal religious beliefs and behavioral expectations.Sex is a natural part of life, and it happens with or without sex education. Seventy-one percent of American 19-year-olds have had intercourse. Ninety-nine percent of Americans will have sex in their lifetime. Only twenty states require sex and HIV education be taught in schools. Sex is a fundamental part of being a human; but less than half of our states require sex and HIV education, and most of what is taught is filtered. Just because we refuse to talk about sex doesn’t mean it’s just going to go away. There are thirty-five states that have laws that allow parents to opt their children out of sex ed. You can’t opt your children in or out of math. But when it comes to sex education, one of the most important things you can learn in school, a parent can take their kid out for no reason at all. The student should know how they are there in the first place. Most citizens in America are all in for religious freedom, but just because you or your religion values exclude the talk of sex before marriage doesn’t mean it is not a real thing people face everyday. It’s important teens get all the information they can, and then make a decision about their own values. Don’t let religion or family values be a reason to let students be taken out of sexual health education and to not be knowledgeable of activity that’s part of every humans life. Don’t let your morals obstruct your kid’s learning.

In today’s century, the internet affects young and older teens all over the world. They have a world of knowledge at the tip of their fingers. Why not google questions about sex? It is much better to teach children about sexual health in school rather letting them use other resources, such as pornographic material and/or the internet. This is important because the internet has a huge store of information that might be misleading. Teens get a huge amount of information from social media; where false, misleading, or exaggerated content is often prevailed. Being able to identify the trustworthiness of information is an important concern for everyone. Yet the material online is at a speed at which it travels very fast has made this an increasingly challenging task. Rather than having open conversations about uncomfortable topics, more and more teens will just look up the answer. Which most of the time, the solution is false information. For example, of 203 middle school students surveyed as part of the report, more than 80% thought a native ad on the news website Slate labelled “”sponsored content”” was a real news story. A majority of high school students questioned by the researchers didn’t recognise the significance of the blue checkmark on a verified Fox News Facebook account. So, if a child now googles a question about a sexually related topic, it is very likely that and inappropriate website will pop up or false information. With school being a primary source for most information, it should also be a resource for teenagers to get the answers to sexually related questions or misunderstandings they may have. That way, adolescents are not exposed to the harms or misleading facts on the internet.

Sexual Education is not meant to encourage students to have sex. The class has quite the opposite purpose. There is a common result in students who receive formal sex education in schools than students who do not receive the education. It is found that the educated students are shown to have sexual intercourse later than students who have not been formally educated. Sex education is important. Every teenager should have sex education incorporated into their schooling. As stated before the course should mandatory. Why should parents be able to choose if their children are in or out of a subject that they’ll need later in life? Sex education should be mandatory, accurate, and taught throughout student’s school years, just like math, history, or science. It’s been shown to help students, not hurt. It is the fundamental duty as a society to educate the next generation.

Overall Sex Education should be taught in schools because any questions adolescents may have may easily be answered. Sex Education has the ability to provide accurate information. Without making parents feel uncomfortable or the chance that students can get false information from a misleading source. Sex Education will help young people develop healthy attitudes helps young people develop healthy attitudes, values, and insights about human principals. Students will be prepared to create caring, non-coercive, and satisfying relationships when they are adults. Most importantly sex education will encourage students to make responsible choices about sexual relationships by practicing abstinence, postponing or resisting early intercourse, and using contraception and safer sex when teens do become sexually active.

American Adolescents’ Sources of Sexual Health Information.”” Guttmacher Institute, 21 Dec. 2017, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/facts-american-teens-sources-information-about-sex.

Boskey, Elizabeth. “”There Are Many Reasons Why Sex Education Should Be Taught in Schools.”” Verywell Health, Verywellhealth, www.verywellhealth.com/support-comprehensive-education-schools-3133083.

“”History of Sex Education in the U.S.”” Planned Parenthood, Nov. 2016, www.google.com/amp/s/m.onlymyhealth.com/amp/sex-education-in-schools-pros-cons-1310535352.

“”Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Schools.”” Google Search, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/m.onlymyhealth.com/amp/sex-education-in-schools-pros-cons-1310535352.

Rudulph, Heather Wood. “”11 Facts About Sex Ed in the U.S. That Might Surprise You.”” Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, 9 Oct. 2017, www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/advice/a6329/sex-ed-facts/.

“”Sex Education.”” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex%20education.

Cite this page

Sex Education in Schools. (2020, May 02). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/

"Sex Education in Schools." PapersOwl.com , 2 May 2020, https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/

PapersOwl.com. (2020). Sex Education in Schools . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/ [Accessed: 18 Apr. 2024]

"Sex Education in Schools." PapersOwl.com, May 02, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/

"Sex Education in Schools," PapersOwl.com , 02-May-2020. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/. [Accessed: 18-Apr-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2020). Sex Education in Schools . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/sex-education-in-schools/ [Accessed: 18-Apr-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Int J Environ Res Public Health

Development of Contextually-relevant Sexuality Education: Lessons from a Comprehensive Review of Adolescent Sexuality Education Across Cultures

As reported by the World Health Organization in 2017, there are 2 million+ young people living with HIV worldwide. The World Health Organization also reported that a third of all new HIV infections around the world are estimated to occur among youths (aged 15–25). and teen pregnancy rates are on the rise in many places. These worrying trends suggest that existing sexuality education programs and interventions may be inadequate and/or ineffective. Although the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action highlighted the roles of Governments to offer sex education to young people to promote teenage reproductive health, yet inconsistency exists in the related initiatives in the global context. The present article aims to provide a comprehensive literature review of the existing sexuality programs in selected places in both English-speaking (i.e., the United States of America, the United Kingdom) and Chinese-speaking contexts (i.e., Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan). Based on the review, observations and implications for sexuality education policy and practice, as well as recommendations for future research for youths are outlined.

1. Introduction

Adolescence marks a developmental phase where one has relatively sound health, a time where physical sexual maturity is acquired. However, it is also during this period marked by increased autonomy, social immaturity, risk taking, and spontaneity which make them more susceptible to reproduction and sexual health risks. These risks include unplanned, or unprotected sex, which may lead to an elevated risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancy, and unsafe abortion [ 1 , 2 ]. Although STIs and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are sometimes used interchangeably, it is important to highlight the technical differences between the two. STIs refer to bacteria, viruses, and parasites transmitted through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It is a sexually transmitted infection that has not developed into a disease. Simply put, STDs (e.g., pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer) start out as STIs. At present, four curable STIs include syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis, while, hepatitis B, herpes, HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are incurable. These pathogens are associated with higher incidence of STDs [ 3 ]. As reported by the World Health Organization [ 3 ], there are currently more than 2 million adolescents living with HIV worldwide. In the United States (U.S.), young people (aged 15–24 years old) account for 50% of all new STDs. Furthermore, 25% of sexually active adolescent females have an STD (e.g., chlamydia or HPV) [ 4 ]. However, in the present study, we will focus on providing a broader picture, as such the rates of particular types of sexually transmitted infections and diseases will not be outlined in detail. According to the 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey [ 4 ], 39.5% of high school students in the U.S. reported ever having engaged in sexual intercourse. While the figures have decreased significantly in the past decade from 47.8% in 2007, unfortunately, those who reported using a condom during their last sexual contact decreased significantly from 61.5% in 2007 to 46.2% in 2017. Moreover, 70.6% of U.S. high school students did not use birth control pills, implants, or birth control rings before last intercourse.

In non-Western contexts such as Hong Kong, the Department of Health reported that HIV infection cases increased from 181 in 1997 to 692 in 2016 [ 5 ]. The premarital pregnancy rate among youngsters had also increased from 2011 to 2016 [ 6 ]. Furthermore, improved health and nutrition in most developed countries have resulted in youths maturing at a younger age, accompanied by an earlier sexual debut [ 7 ]. In the UK, The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle showed that roughly three-tenths of young people aged 16–24 had sexual intercourse when they were younger than 16 [ 8 ].

In fact, the resolution of the International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action adopted in 1994 underscored the importance of governments to offer sex education to young people [ 9 ]. A critical need for young people to obtain information and skills to protect adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) was recognized [ 10 ]. Consequently, many countries have adopted sex education policies aimed at preventing adolescent unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and HIV transmission. In the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health 2016, strategies to guide and catalyze global collaboration on promoting ASRH for the next 15 years were established. Unfortunately, despite investments in comprehensive sexuality and HIV education for young people over the past decades, grave trends are still being observed, which continues to point toward the necessity for better sexual health education and services [ 4 ].

1.1. Sex Education

Sex education refers to “an age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgmental information” [ 2 ] (p. 69). This definition acknowledges that the aim of sex education extends beyond the transfer of knowledge on human physiology, reproductive system, or the prevention of STIs. Rather, sex education is conceptualized holistically with the goal of empowering youths to better understand their sexuality and relationships, which will ultimately improve adolescents’ sexual health and overall quality of life [ 11 ]. This is in line with WHO’s delineation of sexual health as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected, and fulfilled.” [ 12 ] (p. 4).

Generally, sex education focuses on delivering facts about sexual and reproductive health. However, the content, messages, and approaches of delivering sex education vary across countries [ 13 ]. In both the West and non-Western Chinese contexts, the implementation of sex education remains a contentious subject in public health and education policy on several grounds. First, it is the deep-rooted perception of sex as a “taboo” itself, especially in the Asian cultures. Some skeptics argue that sex education encourages promiscuity among youths, and believe that this issue should be avoided so as not to “awaken the sleeping bear”. Second, while policy makers, educators, and parents witnessed that adolescent sexual behavior is getting “out of control”, they disagree on how youngsters’ problematic sexual behaviors can be minimized; and third, on whose responsibility it is to control our youths in this area [ 14 ]. Sex education programs may be school-based that are led by teachers, social workers, health professionals, or peers; community-based; or family-based. In addition, there are various approaches to sex education including abstinence-only, abstinence-only-until-marriage, abstinence, and comprehensive sex education.

1.2. Abstinence-only or Abstinence-only-until-marriage Education Approaches

Abstinence-only education (AOE) or abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) programs, with its religious origins, advocate the complete refraining of sex outside of wedlock, including masturbation. Abstinence is perceived moralistically, where notions of virginity and chastity are highlighted and “teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity” [ 15 ] (p. 97). Students’ character and morality are core issues. Under this approach, policies prohibit or limit the mention of contraception in sex education, and biased findings of contraceptive methods (e.g., condoms and birth control pills) as failures are often presented. Advocates believe that providing students with information on where to obtain and how to use contraception will undermine the abstinence-only message and encourage immoral and health-compromising sexual behaviors which will, in turn, increase the rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancy [ 16 ]. As such, they believe that abstinence-only is the sole unfailing way to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies. The implementers of abstinence-only programs discourage sexual activity by employing tactics to instill fear, shame, and guilt in relation to sexual activity. Moreover, it has been criticized that AOE programs present scientifically inaccurate information, use stereotypical gender roles that discriminate against female students (e.g., portraying women as the “gatekeepers” of men’s virginity, blaming women for men’s sexual indiscretions), and overemphasize religious messages [ 17 ]. Nevertheless, this approach is mostly welcomed by conservative and religious groups [ 18 ].

1.3. Abstinence or Stress-abstinence Approach

While AOE and AOUM approaches perceive abstinence under a moral lens, proponents of abstinence approach conceptualize it as a behavioral and public health issue, encompassing behaviors such as delaying sex, never having vaginal sex, or refraining from engaging in further sexual intercourse even if one has already had sexual experience. Abstinence, however, does not include other sex-related behaviors such as petting, kissing, mutual masturbation, oral, and anal sex [ 19 ].

1.4. Comprehensive Sex Education

Under comprehensive sex education (CSE), abstinence is also included in the curriculum. However, in contrast to the aforementioned approaches, abstinence needs not be stressed. Rather, comprehensive sex education incorporates a range of prevention strategies on contraception to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancy, and highlights the importance of safe sexual practice [ 19 ]. According to The International Planned Parenthood Federation, CSE refers to “education about all matters relating to sexuality and its expression. Comprehensive sexuality education covers the same topics as sex education but also includes issues such as relationships, attitudes towards sexuality, sexual roles, gender relations and the social pressures to be sexually active, and it provides information about sexual and reproductive health services. It may also include training in communication and decision-making skills” [ 20 ].

CSE is an empowerment-based rooted with values and practices emphasizing human rights, gender equality, participative learning, youth advocacy and civic engagements, as well as cultural appropriateness. It aims to equip students with knowledge, values/attitudes, and skills to facilitate students to make informed decisions that promote sexual health [ 10 , 21 ]. Research supports the implementation of CSE. For instance, the United Nations Population Fund (2016) reported that CSE does not lead to earlier sexual debut or risky sexual behaviors which may be a misconception held traditionally [ 22 ]. Rather, approximately two in three CSE programmes evaluated showed reductions in risky sexual behaviors. 60% of the CSE programmes yielded positive effects such as increased condom use or reduced teenage pregnancies. In addition to the aforementioned effective outcomes of CSE, the authors firmly believe that healthy sexuality plays a crucial role in holistic positive youth development. Without healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors, adolescent development will be adversely affected.

2. Methodology

A comprehensive review on evidence-based sex education programs in developed countries from the West (i.e., the U.S., the UK), and non-Western Chinese regions (i.e., Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) was conducted. These countries were selected as they provide a diversity in terms of their political and cultural background, the role that the government plays in sex education policy making, as well as its varying approaches in implementation, training, research, and evaluation. More specifically, despite continuous declines in the past decades and currently at its record lowest, U.S. pregnancy rates remain to be the highest in the developed world (43 per 1000 females in 2013) [ 23 ]. While in Europe, the highest adolescent pregnancy rates were reported in England and Wales (47 per 1000 females in 2011) [ 24 ]. The U.S. and the UK are also the largest English-speaking countries in the globe.

Compared to the Netherland which mandated sex education with the second lowest adolescent pregnancy rates in Europe, the education system in the U.S. and UK are far less consistent in terms of their provisions. These inconsistencies therefore warrant more detailed analyses [ 24 ]. In a recent Lancet article [ 25 ], figures from Asia in 2014 revealed that unintended pregnancy rates per 1000 women aged 15-44 had a 20% decrease since 1990, among which Southeast Asia reported the highest percentage decrease (31%). Mainland China and Taiwan were included in the present study due to their shared deeply entrenched roots of Chinese Confucian culture. Hong Kong serves as a unique region for examination as well, given its intermingled influences from traditional Confucian ideology and Christian values brought along from its former British colonization (from 1842 to 1997) which has been found to impact on citizens’ sexual attitudes [ 26 ].

For published materials, using a combination of search terms such as sex education, evidenced-based sex education programs, relationships and sexuality education, schools, adolescents, youths, STIs, HIV, or AIDs were used to search for relevant information in the online databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science), Internet searches (Google Scholar, Guttmacher Institute, UNIAIDS, WHO) to identify articles that detailed and evaluated evidence-based sex education programs. In addition, we conducted searches for grey literature using relevant keywords on Google to identify sex education programs and policies led by government bodies or other agencies and organizations relevant to adolescent health.

In the present review, we focused on analyzing the selected regions based on their policy, practice, training, and evaluation; which have been previously identified as key aspects of sex education in schools to ensure that students’ health and wellbeing are maximized [ 27 ]. Moreover, in this review, whether a sex education program is effective will be determined by various outcome as outlined by Kirby (1998) [ 28 ]. These indicators include (a) enhanced knowledge; (b) changed attitudes (e.g., attitudes towards premarital sex, birth control, STDs, etc.); (c) acquired skills (e.g., making decisions pertaining to sexual relations, being able to communicate feelings about the use of contraception and sexuality); and (d) learned behaviors (e.g., frequency of sex, use of contraception).

The present review contributes to the existing literature in various manners.

First, up until now, to the best of our knowledge, articles have not been published to paint such a comprehensive picture on sex education of different Chinese societies. Second, this review provides a thorough landscape of sex education in two English-speaking countries with the largest populations in the Western world. Finally, this paper identifies common issues and challenges faced in both the Western and Chinese communities concerning the provision of sex education.

3. Sex Education in the United States of America

3.1. policy.

In response to the increased prevalence of out-of-marriage pregnancies and the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, sex education has been an important public health policy issue in the U.S. over the past four decades. There was an obvious pressing need for formal education targeted at adolescents on protective health topics such as the use of contraception, and knowledge on sexually transmitted diseases. In the late 1990s, the U.S. government proposed a singular Abstinence Only Until Marriage (AOUM) approach to sex education with up to 49 of the 50 states implementing programs to promote AOUM at schools. However, over the years, empirical evidence pointed toward the lack of effectiveness of AOUM approach in delaying sexual debut or reducing risky sexual behaviors [ 29 ]. Thus, under President Obama’s administration, the AOUM approach was proposed to be eliminated and replaced by a more comprehensive programs—one that “normalizes teen sex” [ 30 ]. This approach is based on the assumption that it will not be possible to dissuade a certain proportion of the adolescent population from sexual activity. Therefore, the best approach is to teach and promote the use of contraception which may lower the rate of unwanted pregnancy and STDs. Simultaneously, for youths that have yet to become sexually active, continued abstinence is still promoted [ 31 ]. Under Obama’s leadership, the proposed budget was increased to support programs such as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which equipped youths with the necessary skills to ensure lifelong sexual health and wellbeing [ 30 ]. Yet a turn was taken under Trump’s administration which reverted back to supporting the abstinence approach, as reflected by the priority of funding programs that promote abstinence, sexual risk avoidance, and provide cessation support (i.e., encouraging sexually active youths to deter having sex) [ 32 ].

At present, sex education is mandated on a state-level, where different states, districts, and school boards have the autonomy to determine the implementation of federal policies and funds for sex education. Since there is a lack of cohesive and consistent policies governing the implementation, the system has been criticized to be a “highly diverse patchwork of sex education laws and practices” [ 29 ] (p. 595). Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, merely 24 of them have mandated sex education classes in public schools and 34 states mandate HIV education [ 33 ]. However, in terms of content, there is great variation across states. For instance, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia provide a detailed age-appropriate standard on the topics to be covered in sex education. However, the majority of the states such as Kentucky and Nevada offer minimal guidelines as to what should be included in the sex education curriculum [ 34 ]. Although comprehensive sex education (CSE) is gaining popularity, and is supported by many organizations, given its effectiveness in delaying sexual activity and decreasing risky sexual behavior among young people have been evidenced [ 35 ], the Abstinence-Only Education approach is still adopted by states that are more likely to hold socially and politically conservative beliefs, such as Tennessee and Montana [ 36 ].

3.2. Practice

In terms of implementation, while every state provides guidance on the content of sex education, individual school districts possess the autonomy to decide on how and when sex education should be taught. In the U.S., sex education is often included as part of health or physical education (PE) curriculum for high school students, which is delivered by health and PE teachers. Unfortunately, [ 29 ] up until now, there remains a lack of evidence-based conceptual models on comprehensive sex education for adolescents in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [ 37 ] (p. 3) “Exemplary sexual health education is a systematic, evidence-informed approach to sexual health education that includes the use of grade-specific, evidence-based interventions”.

Indeed, efforts have been dedicated to developing guidelines for the implementation of sex education. In 2014, the CDC [ 37 ]“proposed 16 critical topics that should be included in sex education as a part of the School Health Profile, including (1) How to create and sustain healthy and respectful relationships; (2) Influences of family, peers, media, technology and other factors on sexual risk behavior; (3) Benefits of being sexually abstinent; (4) Efficacy of condoms; (5) Importance of using condoms consistently and correctly; (6) Importance of using a condom at the same time as another form of contraception to prevent both STDs and pregnancy; (7) How to obtain condoms; (8) How to correctly use a condom; (9) Communication and negotiation skills; (10) Goal-setting and decision-making skills; (11) How HIV and other STDs are transmitted; (12) Health consequences of HIV, other STDs and pregnancy; (13) Influencing and supporting others to avoid or reduce sexual risk behaviors; (14) Importance of limiting the number of sexual partners; (15) How to access valid and reliable information, products and services related to HIV, STDs, and pregnancy; and (16) Preventive care that is necessary to maintain reproductive and sexual health” (p. 1). However, a nationwide survey across 48 states revealed that less than half of the high schools and merely one-fifth of middle schools cover all of the 16 proposed essential sex education topics. Moreover, within a school year, an average of merely 6.2 hours of instruction was dedicated to human sexuality, 4 hours or less on HIV, STDs, and pregnancy prevention [ 37 ].

Despite efforts to promote adolescent sexual health, teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. continues to be ranked as the highest among Western countries. This phenomenon has been attributed to the resistance towards the incorporation of a standardized sex education curriculum across districts. A report published by the Guttmacher Institute [ 38 ] illuminated on this disparate implementation where it was found that merely 26 states mandate that the content of instruction be age-appropriate, 13 states to be medically accurate, eight that the materials must be free from race or gender bias, eight that the content must include information on sexual orientation, and two that it should be religion-neutral. The lack of consensus across districts on the approach and content of sex education may be due to various reasons, including individuals’ attendance at religious services and political orientation [ 39 ].

3.3. Training

The effectiveness of school-based education programs depends highly on teachers. Studies have shown that instructors’ commitment to, as well as comfort with the delivering of sex education impacted on ones’ teaching ability [ 40 ]. The positive relation between teachers training and implementation fidelity has been documented. Teacher workshops on sex education should provide strong justification, knowledge, and skills for program delivery, enhance commitment and support to the program, and underscore the significance of program fidelity to teachers [ 41 ].

In the 2018 Sex Ed State Legislative Mid-Year Report [ 42 ], 109 bills across 27 states were introduced or carried forth in hopes of advancing sex education instruction in schools; 48 of the bills were related to teacher training requirements. Although there were few specific guidelines regarding teachers’ training, it was required that the State Department of Education or other organizations set minimum training criteria. The National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education was developed to provide guidance for educators teaching sex education in middle and high schools. A total of seven standards with reference to: (1) professional character; (2) diversity and equity; (3) knowledge on materials; (4) legal and professional ethics; (5) preparation; (6) implementation; and (7) assessment were outlined. In addition to training, CDC also noted that it was critical to provide educators with materials needed to effectively teach sexual health topics [ 37 ], as well as strong support from administration, and ongoing technical assistance [ 41 ].

3.4. Evaluation and Research

Findings from evaluation studies on the effectiveness of different sex education approaches have been mixed. While some reviews and meta-analyses provided support to comprehensive sexual risk reduction programs in reducing targeted sexual risk behaviors; studies suggest otherwise [ 10 , 43 ]. In an analysis consisting of 60 studies examining the impact of school-based comprehensive sex education, Weed and Ericksen [ 31 ] found that CSE was not effective to decrease teen pregnancy as well as STD rates and to increase abstinence and condom use at 12-months post-program [ 16 ]. Several studies were identified to have yielded negative effects including higher levels of sexual initiation, oral sex, and reduced contraceptive use [ 44 , 45 ]. On the other hand, some school-based abstinence education programs revealed sustained increases in teen abstinence.

In order to gain an understanding of the effectiveness of the implementation of sex education, CDC [ 46 ] highlighted the importance of evaluating program outcomes. Due to the inconclusive results obtained from studies evaluating the effectiveness of programs adopting various approaches in promoting adolescent sexual health, the Institute for Research and Evaluation called for more evaluation studies using rigorous methodologies and meaningful indicators (e.g., sustained post-program effects), as well as replication studies to verify positive findings of existing sex education programs which would better inform public policy [ 31 ]. This was echoed by Chandra-Mouli, Lane, and Wong [ 47 ] who recommended “greater attention to the adaptation of evidence-based prevention science approaches that simultaneously address risk and protective factors… This should include the creation of a database that documents best and promising practices in prevention science and adolescent health” [ 47 ] (p. 339). Please refer to Table 1 for a systematic presentation of the sex education initiatives in the U.S.

Summary of sex education aspects in the two large English-speaking societies.

4. Sex Education in the United Kingdom

4.1. policy.

In the 1960s, sex and relationship education (SRE) was introduced as a part of the UK school curriculum. However, because of diverging sociopolitical ideologies and the absence of consensus among stakeholders (e.g., parents, religious groups), the objectives of sex education remain unclear. Particularly, a contention lies in whether health or moral values should be primarily addressed [ 48 ]. In the 1980s, the Conservative government instilled traditional sexual values through moral teachings. By the late 1980s, sex education was intended to ensure social stability by addressing public health issues such as the rising prevalence of unplanned pregnancies, STIs, and HIV/AIDS. This resulted in the passing of legislation which was largely prohibitive, such as Section 28 of the Local Government Act in 1988 which banned the “promotion” of same-sex relationships in schools.

While there is no standardized curriculum for SRE in the UK, progressive developments were made in 2000, when the Department of Education and Employment published a statutory Sex and Relationship Education Guidance which provided guidelines for SRE within schools where the importance of respecting social, cultural, and sexual diversity was highlighted: “young people, whatever their developing sexuality, need to feel that sex and relationships education is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs” [ 49 ] (p. 12). Under legislation passed in 2017, relationship education is compulsory in all primary schools. Whereas, SRE must be a part of the secondary school curricula [ 20 ]. Earlier in 2018, the Government announced that sex education will become compulsory for school children from September 2020 and is currently consulting stakeholders including parents, subject matter experts, and youngsters on the content of the curriculum [ 50 ].

4.2. Practice

At present, there is no standardized SRE curriculum for schools which implies that schools have the autonomy to develop their own programs to cater to their respective students. Taken as a whole, UK sex education places sexual intercourse within the contexts of marriage and fidelity [ 51 ] and emphasizes abstinence. SRE can be categorized into five types, namely: (1) sexual abstinence-only programs; (2) comprehensive programs; (3) pregnancy-prevention programs; (4) HIV-prevention programs; and (5) school-based or school-linked sexual health services (e.g., primary care clinics, youth service drop-in facilities, and outreach services which provide contraception and sexual health support or advice) [ 52 ]. Although there is no standardized curriculum or program, the government has set out a number of broad requirements that every state-funded school must adhere to when implementing SRE [ 49 ]. Since SRE is delivered within the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) framework and its content is determined at the school level, the content of the SRE programs are heavily influenced by localized district factors including prevalence rates of unwanted pregnancy, STIs, parents’ needs, etc. Some counties dictate what SRE should contain, but often individual teachers are left to decide on the approach and method of implementation [ 51 ].

This self-governing arrangement has been prized by stakeholders including parents, governors, and school management. However, experts have criticized that this value-led approach merely reflects the interests and principles of stakeholders, while overlooking the actual needs and wellbeing of youths [ 53 ]. The content commonly found in most programs includes knowledge on HIV and AIDS, contraception, methods to prevent STIs, as well as risks and consequences of unprotected sex, pregnancy, STIs, and reproductive health [ 52 ]. These topics heavily focus on biological aspects covering topics such as puberty and sexual reproduction, spread of viruses, etc. with the aim of delaying early sexual activity and reducing sexual partners, and encouraging contraceptive use. Youths are deprived of certain knowledge about sex and sexuality [ 54 ]. Specifically, present guidelines on SRE fails to include contemporary issues such as sexting, internet pornography, cyberbullying, or LGBTQ identities, and the notion of consent [ 20 ]. Moreover, students reported that they felt uncomfortable having their own teachers teach them about sex due to blurred boundaries and a lack of anonymity [ 55 ].

In addition to school-based efforts, members of the wider community also play crucial roles in the provision of SRE for youths. For instance, some schools work with health professionals such as doctors and nurses in the development and delivering of SRE programs. Youth workers also play important roles in outreach work to provide confidential advisory services to children and young people outside of the school context [ 49 ].

4.3. Training

Evidently, the effectiveness of school-based SRE relies predominantly on teachers. Yet, students reported dislike of their own teachers delivering SRE as they sensed the teachers being embarrassed and were poorly trained in this aspect [ 55 ]. It can be difficult “… to discuss sex, particularly when the discussion is led by untrained teachers who are not given sufficient help to deliver the material, and who as a result may be uncomfortable talking about it” [ 56 ]. Indeed, teachers themselves have reported feelings of awkwardness when delivering SRE [ 57 , 58 ]. Up to 80% of teachers were not confident and perceived inadequately trained on SRE.

When teachers were asked about the barriers they faced having to implement SRE, about half of the interviewed teachers identified the lack of training, and lack of time to develop and coordinate the SRE programs. Fortunately, teachers do receive training or support from external agencies in relation to the delivery of SRE. These workshops were usually coordinated by the local education authority and took place at local hospitals where teachers are given the opportunity to work together and exchange ideas with health professionals such as doctors and nurses on sex education [ 59 ]. In terms of resources support, merely 9% of the teachers found the materials and resources provided to be useful to their SRE teaching. Approximately, one in four teachers believed that the current SRE fails to prepare children for the future [ 60 ]. This further highlights the pressing need for the development and implementation of effective SRE teachers training. For example, an evaluation study was conducted on an in-service program for training SRE teachers to deliver a sex education program entitled “SHARE”. Participants of the teacher training program found it to be highly beneficial. Particularly, teacher participants received social support from colleagues which they found to be valuable. The training component also enabled teachers to be familiarized with the teaching resources which helped to boost their confidence in delivering SRE [ 61 ].

Finally, one of the main criticisms of the existing SRE is its heterosexist orientation which highlights the importance for teachers to reflect on different aspects of SRE practice, update their knowledge on sex and sexuality through attending training and workshops. Specifically, it was recommended that training should equip teachers with knowledge and skills that would enable the development and implementation of up-to-date curriculum that takes into account youngsters’ sexual identities, relationships, and cultural backgrounds [ 62 ].

4.4. Evaluation and Research

According to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles [ 56 ], young people’s sexual practices have changed over the last 20 years. The proportion of sexually active 16 to 26 year olds who reported having had sexual intercourse with opposite-sex partners during the previous year increased from one in 10 females and one in 10 males in 1990–1991, to one in five females and one in four males in 2010–2012. These figures call for the pressing need for SRE in schools, families, and the community. Wight [ 63 ] conducted a review of evaluations on three nationwide large-scale comprehensive sex education programs (i.e., SHARE, RIPPLE, and HEALTHY RESPECT) implemented in the UK. The sample included over 22,000 students from nearly 80 schools. It was found that all three programs helped to enhance students’ sexual health knowledge and certain attitudes. However, findings revealed that the programs did not yield remarkable improvements in adolescents’ sexual health outcomes.

Using a meta-ethnographic method reviewing 55 publications mainly from the UK, the current SRE was criticized for its lack of statutory status, outdated government guidance and the observation that one-third of UK schools delivered unsatisfactory SRE [ 55 ]. These problems are attributed to two main reasons. First, schools overlooked the emotional laden and unique nature of sexuality. As a result, the curriculum was taught in a way similar to that of any other academic subjects. Second, there is a reluctance to accept that sexual activity is high in some adolescents. This results in a discrepancy between what is taught and what students are experiencing [ 55 ]. Moreover, the current SRE content fails to address contemporary sexuality issues. For instance, over 50% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youngsters reported that issues surrounding non-heterosexual relationships have not been taught in their schools. Similarly, 85% of students shared that SRE education did not include biological or physical aspects of homosexual relationships [ 64 ]. Researchers pointed out that more research must be conducted on same-sex attitudes and sexual behaviors among youngsters which will guide education policy to safeguard and enhance the health and well-being of youths. See Table 1 for a systematic presentation of the sex education initiatives in the UK.

In the following, sex education in three Chinese societies, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan will be reviewed with reference to policy, practice, training, and evaluation as well as research. (Please refer to Table 2 ). They are included because they are under the strong influence of Chinese culture and social thoughts, such as Confucianism.

Summary of sex education aspects in the three Chinese-speaking societies.

5. Sex Education in Hong Kong

5.1. policy.

The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK) began to promote sex education in Hong Kong in the 1960s, focusing on family planning and contraceptive knowledge [ 65 ]. Until 1971, the memorandum issued by the Education Department (now Education Bureau) then suggested including topics of sex education in some formal subjects in all Hong Kong schools [ 5 ]. In 1986, the Education Department published a more detailed guideline on sexuality education in secondary schools with recommendations on topics, resources, and references for promoting relevant programs. This set of the guideline was revised further in 1997 for strengthening the promotion, but it has not been revised since then [ 5 ].

According to the guidelines formulated in 1997, sexuality education includes five key concepts, including “human development, health and behavior, interpersonal relationships, marriage and family, and society and culture” [ 5 ] (p. 23). Unfortunately, this framework is for reference only. In 2000, the Education Department integrated sexuality education into the curriculum of Moral and Civic Education, and revised its framework in 2008, with the purpose of assisting schools in implementing sexuality education systematically. One problem of this curriculum is that it lacks a well-articulated conceptual framework. For example, while psychosocial development such as positive youth development shapes the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent [ 66 ] the proposed curriculum just focuses on the social and sexual relationship in a shallow manner without covering psychosocial development such as emotional competence and moral competence.

5.2. Practice

Regarding the implementation of sexuality education in schools, it is suggested by the Government to name it as “life education”, especially for junior students [ 67 ]. Teachers are also assigned to take up sex education that covered wider topics using various teaching resources and learning activities [ 68 ] (p. 90). Nearly all schools in Fok’s survey reported that sex education is provided by adopting the comprehensive approach that aims at preparing students for expressing their sexuality appropriately, but not just focusing on the prevention of negative consequences of casual sex. However, Lee [2005] argued that most schools still passively rely on school social workers, community resources and NGOs in carrying out sexuality education [ 65 ].

The Government findings showed that 72% of the 134 interviewed schools provided “life-skills based” AIDS or sex education in the 2011/12 school year [ 5 ]. For others, about 67% and 46% of the interviewed schools arranged an average of only three hours for each academic level, by relying on the programs of NGOs and the Department of Health respectively per year [ 5 ]. In the implementation, prevention of HIV had been mentioned by 60% of interviewed schools, and the use of condom had been taught by about 80% of interviewed schools via multiple learning activities or programs [ 5 ]. Besides “life-skills based” programs, 86% of the interviewed schools spent around 4 hours to provide AIDS or sex education in the main subjects, and 28% used about 3 hours to provide relevant information in the life-wide learning activities [ 5 ]. However, there is a lack of a systematic database recording diverse sex education programs in schools. As a result, the schools might have difficulties and low incentive to adhere to an evidence-based sex education program. Most importantly, evidence-based programs on sex education for schools do not exist in Hong Kong.

5.3. Training

As for teachers’ training, it is revealed that the training programs of sexuality education for teachers are usually short-term, scattered, and without clear objectives [ 65 ]. As reported by the government, only 66% of teachers had received training on AIDS, sex or life-skills based education. The training sessions were provided in the form of professional development programs by the Education Bureau, training programs by the Department of Health or NGOs, or simply materials from the Internet [ 5 ]. In the findings, only 4.1 teachers in one school on average had received relevant training since they had been working in their schools, and about 2.1 of them had taught sex education topics in the last school year. At the same time, a mean of 4.9 teachers per school had taught relevant topics without attending any relevant training program [ 5 ]. Besides, roughly nine-tenths of the 198 secondary schools under study expressed that they lacked trained teachers for teaching sexuality education [ 65 , 69 ]. At the same time, collaboration with multiple disciplines is also rare. Lee pointed out that teachers and schools could gain more inspirations from working with other professionals like clinical practitioners in conducting sex education in schools [ 65 ].

5.4. Evaluation and Research

Concerning the evaluation of sexuality education in Hong Kong, the former Education Department had carried out an investigation on the sexuality education implementation in secondary schools in 1987, 1990, and 1994. The findings showed that most schools had difficulties in the implementation [ 65 ]. In 2012–2013, the Government further conducted a territory-wide survey which aimed to understand the implementation of life skills-based curriculum in the junior secondary schools, especially on HIV/AIDS and sex topics [ 5 ]. Besides, several NGOs and research groups had conducted multiple types of research. For example, a survey regarding the implementation was conducted by the research centre of the Hong Kong Institution of Education in 2001 [ 65 , 69 ]. In 2016, the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong and the Aids Concern also reported that more young people have engaged in sexual activity with insufficient information and support from school-based sexuality education [ 6 , 70 ]. Even though findings from the Government and NGOs actually indicated the sexuality education in Hong Kong have to be strengthened, continuous and specific evaluations of the Government and schools are inadequate. With the lack of regular research and assessment, the effectiveness of sex education programs in Hong Kong remains unknown.

6. Sex Education in Mainland China

6.1. policy.

In mainland China, the development of sex education began in the early Republican period. During the 1920s, it was believed that the population was a key source that would help China to become a strong and rich country, so it should be carefully measured and monitored by the State. Links between modernization and “issues of sex, reproduction, women’s liberation and eugenics” were developed [ 71 ] (p. 533). Until the People’s Republic of China (PRC) established in 1949, the new Communist leadership regarded “eugenics, genetics and physical anthropology as ‘bourgeois science’ that should be criticized” severely, and sexuality was an area under the control of the State [ 71 ] (p. 534). In the late 1950s, the Government introduced birth control in the curricular of middle schools. In the 1950s to 1960s, sex education was perceived as a vital part in sexual physiology. In 1963, the Government declared the necessity of promoting scientific sexual knowledge among young people, where sex education was stressed as an essential element in a healthy growth of the Chinese population [ 71 ]. However, the sex education in China was once paused during the Cultural Revolution as sex was banned from all aspects [ 71 ].

After the Cultural Revolution in the late 1970s, the One Child Policy and a shifted focus on the quality of the population instead of quantity were proposed. The topics related to “birth control, eugenics and sex education” were brought back to the debates, and The State Family Planning Commission also added sex education in the agenda of the 7th Five Year Plan (1986–1990) and the 9th Five Year Plan (1995–2000) [ 71 ] (p. 535). Then, the first school-based health education policy with guidelines listed was carried out by the Government in both primary and secondary schools in 1992 [ 71 ]. The China’s Ministry of Education further revised it in 2003 and 2008 [ 72 ]. It is noticed that sex education of China has long been guided by the developmental direction of the nation, instead of any theoretical model. This influenced the practice in schools.

6.2. Practice

In the early 1920s, school-based sex education was only perceived as a supplement at that time [ 71 , 73 ]. After the announcement of birth control policy in the 1950s, sex education became mandatory in schools. Then “the State Education Commission and the State Family Planning Commission jointly issued the ‘Notification on the Development of Adolescent Education in the Middle Schools’ in 1988”, which announced schools should take the major role in sex education and formally integrated it into the middle school curricula all over the country [ 71 ] (p. 537). The abstinence-based approach was adopted and “sexual physiology, sexual psychology, sexual morality, and socialist moral education” were the foci [ 71 ] (p. 537). In view of earlier sexual maturation of adolescents in 1990s, the focus shifted to more life skill-based that issues related to premarital sex, HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies were incorporated in the Health Education of the secondary schools and universities [ 71 , 74 ]. Although the youths could be granted with limited sexual rights and responsibilities in the current practice, prevention of STIs and importance of contraception are not clearly stated in the guidelines [ 72 ]. Apart from the insufficiency in the guidelines, evidence-based sex education programs and relevant database are also lacking in guiding the practice in China. The effectiveness of the current practice is indeed found to be unsatisfactory [ 72 ].

6.3. Training

Improving teachers’ training course on sex education was one of the main objectives in the Notification published by the State Education Commission and the State Family Planning Commission in 1988 [ 71 ]. Although some training programs were provided to part of the teachers in previous years, when it comes to the topic of safe sex education, it created discomfort in most teachers as nearly all training programs stem from the abstinence-based approach [ 71 ]. This issue still remains unsolved although efforts in interdisciplinary collaboration have been made. For example, in the “International Conference on Sexual Health Education for Youth in China” held in 2005, professionals such as teachers, doctors, scholars, and social workers gathered and discussed the pressing issues of sex education in China [ 71 ] (p. 539). Other than the content covered in the training, cultural sensitivity is also a critical issue to work on.

6.4. Evaluation and Research

Scientific works on sex education were noticed since the 1920s. Zhang’s “Sex Histories” published in 1926 is regarded as the first scientific work in China that systematically gathered informants’ sexual experiences plus his suggestions on sex education [ 71 ]. In fact, many scholars have conducted various research on sex education in China with its growing debates in society. These findings not only encourage further evaluation and research in sex education, but also provide the Government with more information to review the current implementation. In fact, several studies in the 1980s showed that the Government recognized the importance of schools in providing information on birth control [ 71 ]. However, in contrast to the numerous studies done by the scholars and different organizations such as the UNESCO, official evaluation conducted by the Government on the mandatory sex education programs and training appears to be inadequate.

7. Sex Education in Taiwan

7.1. policy.

After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, sex education was introduced in Taiwan, where the education system was strictly guided by the Government and legislation [ 75 ]. There are three stages of development to sex education in Taiwan from initiation, developing, to integration [ 76 , 77 ]. The initiation stage refers to the period from 1960 to 1988. Due to the announcement of the Guide for Policy on Population in 1969, birth control was started via the practice of population education in Taiwan. Starting from 1972, content regarding sex education was greatly added in different subjects like Health Education and Biology [ 77 ], and population education was implemented in all primary as well as secondary schools in 1983 in order to promote the Government policy [ 77 , 78 ]. From 1989, sex education in Taiwan moved on to the developing stage after several non-Governmental organizations had been established. In this period, conferences on sex education were held and social movement and research aiming at gender equality were also initiated, which indicated that public awareness of sexual health issues was growing [ 77 , 78 ]. In 1991, The Department of Health and the Ministry of Education began to collaborate in promoting sex education in schools, with the new focus on promotion of “understanding the harmonious relationship between genders” [ 77 ] (p. 35). In 1997, sex education stepped forward to the integration stage with the help of the education reform policy) [ 79 ]. The Ministry of Education introduced “The Nine-Year Joint Curriculum” in 1998, where gender education became a key teaching element in solving gender inequality [ 77 ] (p. 35). The implementation of education reform policy made a significant impact on sex education in Taiwan.

7.2. Practice

In the National Curriculum Standard, all subjects had statutory status and textbooks were all published by the Government agencies. After the introduction of the Nine-Year Joint Curriculum, the status of all the learning areas remained unchanged, but the schools could have more autonomy in the implementation. Under Government monitoring, the teaching materials still adhered to the Government guidelines systematically [ 77 ]. Teachers are provided with relevant studies and practical information on the policy to guide their practice [ 77 ]. Different ideologies in sex education like sexual liberation, gender issues and health education were included [ 76 , 77 ]. Tu [ 77 , 80 ] noticed that the content in the new curriculum is richer especially on topics related to the social relationship than before, and the condition was similar across different areas in Taiwan. It is believed that the statutory status of sex education and the clear guidelines provided by the Government contributed to such uniformity in practice [ 77 , 81 ]. More specifically, it is found that most teachers adopted lecturing as the main way to teach sex education, with the assistance of multimedia and occasional demonstration [ 77 , 82 ]. However, students indeed showed more interests in the additional and non-traditional methods [ 77 , 83 ]. This might reflect an inadequate investigation into the pedagogy of sex education, as compared with the emphasis on its knowledge and information [ 77 ]. Therefore, though sex education is implemented in all primary and secondary schools in Taiwan with clear suggested topics, the teaching methods require more reflection.

7.3. Training

In order to ensure the teachers are qualified to conduct sex education programs, a lot of training, conferences and programs have been provided by the Government. Besides promoting gender education, theoretical knowledge and practical skills are included in teachers’ training programs at universities in the four-year institutional training. The graduates would have to complete a half-year field practice before officially recognized as a qualified teacher. The “Teacher Act” in 1995 led to more teacher training programs provided in the Taiwanese universities [ 77 ]. The Ministry of Education also authorizes the non-Governmental organizations to conduct additional training programs, talks, conferences and events for schools, professionals, as well as the public on sex education since the 1990s [ 75 ]. These organizations promote interdisciplinary communication by inviting members and collaboration from different backgrounds and professions. Teachers agreed that their “development of educational ideology and theories, professionalism and knowledge of sex education” [ 77 ] (p. 42) are strengthened with ongoing and additional training [ 84 ]. While the ongoing training is effective, Yu [ 77 , 85 ] realized that the participation rate in the training could be promoted by rearranging the training schedule. Instead of having the training during school time, teachers expressed that they would like to have the training during school holidays more [ 77 , 82 ].

7.4. Evaluation and Research

It was claimed that sex education in Taiwan is evidence-based in nature [ 77 ] and the research can be found in specific databases. From the information captured from 1979 to 2004, it was found that research on sex education had significantly increased. For example, the total amount of relevant research in the three databases was only four in 1979–1984, but it greatly increased to 103 in 2000–2004 [ 75 ]. Apart from the research projects commissioned by the Department of Health, there are also heaps of research to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the implemented sex education conducted by different scholars and organizations [ 75 ]. For instance, Yen and colleagues [ 77 , 83 , 86 ] found that sex education improved students’ knowledge on sexuality, and extending the time and extra activities for sex education could bring more impacts to their knowledge and attitude. This influenced the development of the teaching approach on sex education as the findings in research would be used to provide advice for the Government [ 77 ]. Regardless of the diverse comments on the research, the need for sex education is consistently recognized by multiple parties in Taiwan.

8. Discussion

The purpose of this paper is to outline the school-based sex education policies and programs in three Chinese-speaking societies in Asia and two English-speaking countries in the Western context. There are several unique features of this review. First, the review can enable researchers to understand school-based sex education in more individualistic societies (United States and the UK) and collectivistic societies (three Chinese societies in Asia). In the Chinese culture, collectivistic interests such as social stability and family harmony are emphasized. As individual sexuality such as free sex may pose a threat to social order and family harmony, sexuality is commonly seen in an inhibitory manner in traditional Chinese cultures. Second, in view of the rapid urbanization and Westernization in different Asian societies, it would be theoretically and practically to know what school-based sex education is implemented in Chinese societies and the content of such programs. Third, several Chinese societies including mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were studied which can give a comprehensive view of school-based sex education in multiple Chinese communities. This is essential because Chinese people roughly constitute one-fifth of the world’s population [ 87 , 88 ]. Finally, this is the first scientific study which attempts to review school-based sex education policies and programs in Chinese societies in contrast to two largest English speaking societies.

Several observations can be highlighted from the present review. First, different policies are implemented in different societies under study. For example, while comprehensive sex education covering contraception and safe sex is implemented in some states in the United States, abstinence-only and abstinence-plus programs are implemented in other states of the US. In Chinese societies, different policies are implemented in different places. For instance, while conservative coverage of sexual issues is covered in school programs in mainland China, Taiwan is relatively more liberal. Topics such as the involvement in premarital sex and the use of contraceptive methods are covered in Taiwan high school sex education [ 89 ].

The second observation is that theories and scientific findings are seldom taken into account when formulating policies on school-based sex education (i.e., lack of evidence-based policies). For example, the sex education policy in Hong Kong is rather atheoretical, as the practice of letting schools design their “home-baked” sex education program is not evidence-based. In the contemporary literature on positive youth development, it is commonly proposed that psychosocial competencies are an important protective factor for adolescent risk behavior, including health-compromising sexual behavior [ 90 , 91 ]. In other words, with the development of psychosocial competencies such as resilience, emotional competence, connectedness, moral competence, and positive identity such as self-esteem, adolescents would not easily engage in unhealthy sexual behavior. However, sex education usually focuses on knowledge and attitude without making reference to these foundational psychosocial competencies. Another example is that the adoption of the “diffusion” approach is also not supported by empirical evidence. This observation is not surprising because school-based sex education policy-makers who are relatively distant from research and practice of sex education. In the Western context, there is also the criticism that school-based sex education lacks well-articulated theoretical frameworks and robust research evidence. For instance, as mentioned earlier, the U.S. Institute for Research and Evaluation has urged for evaluations adopting more meticulous and clearly articulated methods and indicators, so that the public policy could be refined consistently [ 31 ].

Third, there is a dearth of evidence-based sex-education programs, particularly in the Chinese contexts. The existing practice is that schools are “baking” their own school-based sex education program which lacks empirical support. Logically speaking, there can be four types of school-based education programs: (a) programs with negative effect; (b) programs with no effect; (c) programs with unclear effects; (d) programs with a potentially positive effect (i.e., programs with promise); and (e) programs with positive effects. As evaluation is not emphasized in Chinese societies, it can be concluded that school-based sex education programs are basically programs with unclear effects. Most of the time, sex education are window dressing and make the policy-makers and service providers feel contended. As sex education influences the attitude and practice of adolescents, there is a strong need to ascertain whether existing programs would create unintended negative impacts on adolescents [ 92 ].

Fourth, there is a lack of databases describing and evaluating validated sex education programs in different Asian societies. In North America, there are several databases which provide useful information on different sex education programs. These include the Cochrane database, Campbell Collaboration, MEASURE Evaluation, and Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center etc. For example, the Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center was launched in 2018 by the U.S. government, aiming at providing reliable information and scientifically-based resources for the public, policymakers and the field to improve the practice [ 93 ]. These databases with information on validity and effectiveness will enable stakeholders to understand the details of the available programs in the field, and inform practitioners on what “works” or what “does not work”. Stakeholders may then make use of this valuable information to develop or revise existing programs to cater to the needs of their students. This method of knowledge management may help to save resources and redundant overlaps. A similar recommendation has been made to develop such databases in the social work field [ 94 ].

Fifth, in Chinese societies, there is a lack of multi-disciplinary collaboration in designing school-based sex education and programs. As there are different dimensions underlying adolescent sexuality, such as the anatomical, physiological, hormonal, physical, cognitive, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions, different professionals have different views on school-based sex education. The different professionals include teachers, principals, social workers, youth workers, counselors, clinical psychologists, pediatricians, health workers, nurses and religious workers. For example, while social workers may adopt a more liberal perspective in implementing school-based sex-education, religious teachers would have great hesitation to teach the knowledge on sexual intercourse and contraception methods. Hence, engagement of different professionals in the process can help to create consensus and “buy-in” and foster multi-disciplinary collaboration. Besides, as students and parents are the major stakeholders, they should be invited in the design of school-based sex education policy and programs. This is important because parents and adolescents commonly have different views on the necessity of implementing school-based sex education and what should be taught. In some places such as the United Kingdom and Singapore, parents may request that their children not to participate in school-based sex education programs. On the other hand, such provision is not present in societies such as Hong Kong and mainland China.

Sixth, despite the importance of school-based sex education programs, there are no systematic and validated training programs for teachers and allied professionals on sex education. With systematic and validated programs, it is not clear whether the teachers are professional and passionate enough to implement the related sex education programs. Essentially, several areas should be covered in training programs for the potential implementers of school-based sex education programs which include knowledge, attitude, value and behavior in adolescent sexuality with reference to the specific cultural context. Besides, sex education teachers should be familiar with the arguments for and against different positions of sex education (e.g., abstinence versus comprehensive sex education programs). They should also understand how different pedagogical factors and process variables influence the impact of sex education programs in the school context. In the area of positive youth development, Shek and his associates argued that training programs are very important for program success [ 95 ].

Finally, while there are many studies on adolescent sexuality, there are comparatively fewer studies examining the factors influencing teaching and learning process and outcomes in sex education. Based on the 5P model, it is recommended that future research should examine how program, people, process, policy and place would influence the outcomes of school-based sex education program. Besides research on teaching and learning, it is necessary to conduct more evaluation on the effectiveness of school-based sex education programs. There is a need to understand the impact of school-based sex education programs over time which is severely lacking in the scientific literature. There is also a shortage of randomized controlled trials and longitudinal evaluation studies to examine the effectiveness of different modes of school-based sex education programs. Besides quantitative evaluation studies, qualitative studies should also be adopted to collect the subjective experiences of program participants and program implementers of school-based sex education programs. This is in line with the spirit of utilization-focused evaluation paradigm [ 96 ].

As a limitation of this review, we acknowledge that the literature included in this article remains non-exhaustive. For example, we are aware that there are other European countries such as Netherlands, France, and Australia that adopt a pragmatic approach to sex-positive government policies which have been shown to be more effective than programs in the U.S. and UK. Owing to the “relative” ineffectiveness of sex education programs in the US and the UK, as well as Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan, we propose further effort should be made to identify the success factors in these countries. Besides, future studies may be conducted in a more systematic manner (e.g., in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines).

Also, we are aware that teenage pregnancy rates in the Mainland China may be underrepresented due to the high abortion rates. In a recent study of 2370 Chinese adolescents (aged 13–19), 39% reported that they have undergone repeated abortions, and 9% had three or more abortions [ 97 ]. As aforementioned, we observed that existing research in the field of sex education often lack methodological rigor and thus is unable to provide conclusive evidence on programs’ effectiveness. Despite the limitations, important implications for policy and practice as well as suggestions for future research were put forth.

9. Conclusions

Evidently, worrying trends in sexual wellbeing of adolescents are observed globally with increasing prevalence rates of teenage pregnancy in certain regions and STIs which urged scholars, practitioners, policy makers, parents and young people to examine the implementation and effectiveness of sex education targeted at youths. In addition, the call for stronger Government involvement in promoting sex education in young people can be seen in the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action. Against this background, the present review provides an overview of the policy, practice, training, and evaluation and research on sex education in the two largest English speaking countries as well as three Chinese speaking societies. The review shows that there are many gaps and inadequacies in sex education in the places under review. Given the importance of sex education, it is advised that more efforts and actions are required. Particularly, sex education policies and programs should be developed based on scientifically evidence-based theories related to contemporary adolescent development theories and ecological models. Moreover, there is a dire need to equip implementers (e.g., teachers and social workers), as well as parents with the necessary skills to enhance the effectiveness of sex education programs. In addition, in order to gain a more informed perspective as to which factors contribute to program effectiveness, methodologically rigorous evaluation studies adopting both quantitative and qualitative methodologies using longitudinal designs should be employed. Also, databases containing effective programs and measures should be established for more effective dissemination of informed practice. Finally, to promote sexual wellbeing among adolescents in today’s contemporary society, program implementers should take into consideration the complexities of sexual development during adolescence and include topics such as gender, diversity, relationships, empowerment, and consent into existing curricula, rather than merely focusing on the biological aspects of reproduction. In particular, strengthening psychosocial competence in young people may protect them from risky sexual behaviors.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: D.T.L.S., H.L., E.L.; Literature search and assembly of data: E.Y.W.S.; Data analysis and interpretation: All authors; Writing-Original Draft Preparation: D.T.L.S., H.L., E.L.; Writing-Review& Editing: D.T.L.S., H.L., E.L.; Supervision: D.T.L.S., H.L.; Final approval of manuscript: All authors.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Sex, Gender and Sexuality — Gender and Sexuality

Gender and Sexuality

• Categories: Sex, Gender and Sexuality

About this sample

Words: 463 |

Published: Jan 29, 2024

Words: 463 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Definitions and concepts, historical perspective on gender and sexuality, intersections of gender and sexuality, impact on individuals and society, current debates and challenges.

• Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge.
• hooks, b. (2000). Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press.
• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

• Expert in: Sociology

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1747 words

3.5 pages / 1678 words

12.5 pages / 5637 words

1.5 pages / 771 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Sex, Gender and Sexuality

Sexuality is a complex and multifaceted aspect of human identity that encompasses a wide range of behaviors, desires, and identities. In her book "Axiomatic," Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick explores the concept of sexuality in a [...]

The concept of sex, gender, and sexuality has evolved significantly over time, prompting a shift in societal perspectives and understandings. Understanding the relationship between these concepts is crucial in addressing issues [...]

In the course of this semester I have learned my understandings of sexual gender through classes and discussions presented amongst the class. The cultural aspect of sex and gender allowed me to make connections to my previous [...]

In this course I have understand the sex and gender reading of discussion presented in class. Moreover, the cross-cultural element of sex and gender allowed me to make connections to my preceding beliefs about gender and human [...]

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a male dominated play. Most of the noticeable characters in Macbeth are male, including Macbeth, Macduff, Banquo, King Duncan, and Malcolm. Despite the lack of female power by numbers, Lady Macbeth [...]

In many cultures, including Dominican culture, rigid and binary gender roles have shaped and reinforced the development of a mostly patriarchal society. Indeed, Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao presents the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Language of Gender Identity

More from our inbox:, power over principle in the g.o.p., upgrading our electric grid, shakespeare’s insights, still relevant today.

To the Editor:

Re “ The Problem With Saying ‘Sex Assigned at Birth, ’” by Alex Byrne and Carole K. Hooven (Opinion guest essay, nytimes.com, April 3):

Mr. Byrne and Ms. Hooven argue that use of “assigned sex” terminology “creates doubt about a biological fact when there shouldn’t be any.” But sex characteristics are not “a biological fact”; they are rather a series of facts — anatomical, hormonal and genetic — that are not always in alignment.

The term “sex assignment” derives from the medical literature of the 1940s and 1950s, in which physicians grappled with what was then called “hermaphroditism” and is now called “intersex” or “D.S.D.,” for disorders or differences of sex development.

To conclude that the words “assigned at birth” are needless is to deny the complexity of biological sex and to erase both the history of intersex conditions and the embodied reality of the people who are born and live with them.

Barbara M. Chubak New York The writer is an associate professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Transgender people like me do not exist as a topic of rational debate, something to be tossed around in discourse; we are people, and our lives exist far beyond your philosophizing. Articles like this are not only unnecessary, but they are also harmful, patronizing and dehumanizing.

The phrase “sex assigned at birth” is causing no one any harm, and it is not meant to replace “sex.” We are not advocating the end of “male” and “female.”

“Sex assigned at birth” is simply meant to convey the following notion: This individual was born as one sex, but their current body and/or lived experiences may contradict that. It allows trans people the very medical clarity this article claims to strive for. If I, a trans man far into his medical transition, were to walk into a doctor’s office and claim to simply be “female,” utter confusion could follow.

But we should not have to defend ourselves under the guise of rational discourse. We have bigger issues. In Texas, my parents would be possibly liable for child abuse for allowing me to transition as a teenager — so stop treating us as if we do not know what we are talking about.

When people tell you the language that makes them the most comfortable, you use it and move on. You may believe sex to be black and white, as it may be the most convenient reality for you to live in, but for many of us, our bodies are the gray areas.

Max Greenhill New York

I fully agree with this essay: Biological sex is accurately recorded at birth; it is not arbitrarily “assigned.”

The reason activists are pushing the sex-assigned-at-birth terminology is not simply that they want more empathy and inclusiveness for trans persons, but that they want the public to believe that one’s birth sex was, as the authors say, an educated guess at best. If the public accepts that idea, they will be more agreeable to the idea that one’s misassigned sex needs to be corrected later when the individual is old enough to determine their “true, authentic self.”

Most adults don’t care what gender someone declares, but biological sex is a scientific fact. The range of “genders” now being proclaimed is making the whole concept of gender meaningless. Every behavior, feeling, mood, attribute, sexual orientation or social statement does not constitute a gender.

Mark Godburn Norfolk, Conn.

The problem is not that we are confusing the male/female binary; the problem is that the human gender story is bigger than a simple binary, and our language does not reflect that, but it should.

Intersex people exist and have always existed. People whose gender expression doesn’t match their biological presentation exist and have always existed. The authors are correct that language is powerful, but in this case they have the power dynamic exactly backward.

When we adhere to strict binary language, we are asking gender-abundant people to amputate whole parts of themselves. We need to allow people to flourish in the language that fits them.

As my 9-year-old recently explained to my 6-year-old, “You don’t really know what gender a baby is when it’s born, because you know their parts, but you don’t know their heart.”

Meghan Lin St. Paul, Minn.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for publishing this guest essay by Alex Byrne and Carole K. Hooven. In a society inundated with well-meaning absurdities such as “sex assigned at birth” and “pregnant people,” this message desperately needs to be broadcast, received and acted upon.

Mark Featherstone Alameda, Calif.

Re “ Sununu Says Trump ‘Contributed’ to Insurrection, but Still Has His Support ” (news article, nytimes.com, April 14):

Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire now says he will support Donald Trump for president, even as he concedes that Mr. Trump “absolutely contributed” to an attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. Like many of his fellow Republicans, Mr. Sununu has chosen power over principle.

Ethics don’t flash on and off like neon lights. Integrity cannot be situational. And character isn’t a chameleon that shifts to secure political advantage. History will record all the elected officials who embraced Mr. Trump’s mendacity while looking away from the democratic principles they swore an oath to uphold.

Welcome to the club, Governor Sununu.

Maryellen Donnellan Falls Church, Va.

Re “ The U.S. Urgently Needs a Bigger Grid. Scientists Have a Faster Solution ” (Business, April 10):

The nation’s current power lines that were built in the 1950s and 1960s have a 50-year life expectancy, meaning that they have surpassed their intended life span. As the U.S. evaluates how to meet new electric demand, the materials in the grid must not just be replaced, but also efficiently planned and upgraded.

To lower energy costs and improve reliable access to electricity, we should use new technologies that allow more power to be transported across the same size transmission towers that are currently in use. Further, the same amount of power could be transported across smaller, low-impact towers, which could reduce siting and permitting obstacles — thus saving time and money.

Significant transmission capacity is required to meet rising demands on the electrical system, withstand frequent extreme weather events and balance a changing resource mix. Deploying improved technologies in constructing a nationwide transmission grid is key to meeting these needs — because America needs a modern grid now more than ever.

Christina Hayes Washington The writer is the executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid.

With “ O.J. and the Monster Jealousy ” (column, April 14) and “ Trump’s Insatiable Bloodlust ” (column, April 7), Maureen Dowd evokes two of Shakespeare’s greatest characters — Othello and Macbeth — to demonstrate that the playwright’s insights remain as perceptive and significant today as they were more than 400 years ago.

As his friend and fellow dramatist Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, “He was not of an age but for all time!”

Brad Bradford Upper Arlington, Ohio

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Education Essay

Essay on Education

Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the most important weapon to change the world.” Education plays an important role in the development of an individual and making him a knowledgeable citizen. It is the education that makes an individual self-reliant, helps to suppress the social evils and contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole.

Education helps in unravelling the mystery of nature. It enables us to understand and improve the working of our society. It creates conditions for a better life. Education brings out the capabilities to fight injustice happening in society. Every individual has the right to education.

Introduction

Education is a significant tool that provides knowledge, skill, technique, information and enables people to know their rights and duties towards their family, society and the nation. You can expand your vision and outlook to see the world around us. It changes our perception of life. Education builds up the ability to explore new things to enhance your creativity. Your creativity is a tool to develop the nation.

Importance of Education

People still don't realise what role education and being educated plays in our lives and society. So, before making people aware of education and working for their access, it is very important to understand the need and importance of education. Education includes traditional learning methods that include theories and modern methods that include practical implementation of the subjects.

In schools, education is categorised into four stages, and each stage is important for each student:

Primary 

Secondary 

Senior secondary

Education can be classified into Various Forms:

Formal education: teaches us the academic part of any course or class, skills, or theory.

Non Formal education: We learn from our community, culture, nation-based programs, and the society that we live in

Informal education: We learn from our life lessons, experiences, other people, their experiences, nature, surroundings, etc.

Education empowers everyone. It is an important aspect that shapes the modern and industrialised world. People need education to be able to cope up with the advancements in this competitive world. Following are some areas where education is needed:

Removing Poverty: Education helps in eradicating poverty from our society.  An educated person can secure a good job and take care of all the basic needs and requirements of his family.

Safety and Security against Crime: A well-educated person cannot be easily duped or become a victim of any crime. They can develop the ability to stand against injustice. 

Increases Productivity: Educated people are more productive. With the help of knowledge and skills, they can explore new ideas. 

Confidence: A good education doesn’t mean to go to schools and colleges only. Education helps to become self-dependent and build great confidence within them so that they are able to accomplish difficult tasks.

Improved Standard of Life: On getting an education, quality of life gets improved. Education helps you to secure good jobs by which you can fulfil your dreams of buying a house or car or other luxury things. 

Women Empowerment: Education helps in empowering women. Women can voice out themselves in the society against the injustice done to them. They can be self-reliant and need not be dependent on anyone. Women empowerment will bring a lot of development in society as well as in the nation.

Upliftment of the Economically Weaker Section: Education is the most significant ingredient to change the world. Illiterate people suffer the hardships of discrimination, untouchability and injustice prevailing in the society. With the advancement of education, the weaker section can improve their quality of life. 

Communication: Communication is related to education. Good education helps to communicate better with others. It also improves our skills such as speech, body language, etc. 

Development of a nation: The countries that focus on educating their citizens and have a higher education level are considered more developed nations in every aspect of their lives.

  Individual growth: An educated individual always stands out in a crowd of uneducated people. They will be able to make better life decisions because with education comes knowledge. When an individual knows something, they will be able to understand things in a better manner.

 Independent: Education acts as a catalyst for a human being to be independent. If an individual is educated enough, they can manage their own life without being dependent on anybody.

  Success: Education helps in framing our mindset in a positive direction, and with this mindset, people can make their lives better. With education comes a degree, and with a degree comes a lot of opportunities. You just have to make a better choice for yourself, and everything will fall in place.

Talking particularly about India, education is a constitutional right of every citizen irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, etc. That’s the status given to education in India because educated people are always treated well and are well respected everywhere in the world.

Role of Education in Society

Education is the social institution through which the society provides its members with knowledge, facts, job skills and values. One of the most important roles of education is that it improves personal lives and helps society to run smoothly. As mentioned above, poverty can be eradicated and every individual can contribute towards the development of the country.

Education Creates a Better Society: An educated person is more likely to develop better moral and ethical values as compared to an uneducated person. Education brings equal opportunity for everyone and educated people will be able to create a better society. 

Education is the Backbone of Society: Education is an integral part of human society. Lack of education gives birth to numerous social problems like poor health, conflicts, and poor living standards. Education helps people overcome all problems by finding better solutions. 

Education Encourages Innovation and Creativity: Education leads to innovation. Innovation and creativity can only occur when skilled people know how to advance with different technologies. Educated people always can solve problems with the help of better techniques. 

Education Creates a Better Human Being: Education is the most powerful weapon by which the entire perspective of the world can be changed. Through education, a person can develop good moral values. It helps us to become a better person in life. 

Understanding the Responsibilities: As a social being, it becomes the responsibility of every individual to give something back to society and make it a better place for our next generation. An educated person is aware of his personal and social responsibilities.

Education helps in shaping the values of an individual. It helps individuals develop their moral values, humbleness, sympathy and empathy towards society, etc.

Students or any individual learn to express their viewpoints by reading, writing, learning. And these qualities or skills are taught with the help of education and nothing else.

Steps Taken to promote Education:

After discussing the importance of education, awareness is the next big step. People, especially those living in remote areas, should be aware and should have access to a better education system. The government has taken several steps for this purpose. It has started various initiatives to make education accessible to all and improve the quality of education for the betterment of every student. 

Some of the Prominent Steps:

The formation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 made education a fundamental right for every child belonging to 6-14 years.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Adult education and national development scheme

Beti bachao, beti padhao

Midday meal scheme and many more.

Various other initiatives that the government has taken are Udaan, Saksham, Pragati, etc., to make education accessible to every part of the county.

Conclusion:

Education is the pathway for a nation’s progress. Education is the backbone of society. The government should take all measures to provide education to every individual of the country. This will bring equality among people and when people improvise their way of living, they become more responsible towards society.

The literacy rate of more developed nations is also high, and the literacy of every nation depends upon its education system. The government undoubtedly has made laws and formulated schemes, but implementing those schemes is a major task. 

The government, along with co-operation with the citizens, should make the society and nation a better place to live in. The growth of every nation depends upon the kind of population it has. A well-educated population will make a well-developed nation.

FAQs on Education Essay

1) Why is education important?

Education is important for the development of an individual. It is the most powerful weapon by which a person can contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole.

2) How is education a pathway to success?

Education provides job opportunities and also helps to expand your vision and change your outlook to see the world around us.

3) How can education help the economically backward people?

Uneducated or illiterate people do not have the ability to overcome hardships like discrimination, untouchability, and injustice. When these people get basic education, then they can become self-reliant and stand for their rights. With the advancement of education, they can improve their standard of living and poverty can be eradicated from the face of the Earth.

4) How are women empowered through education?

Education helps in empowering women. Women can voice out themselves in the society against the injustice done to them. They can be self-dependent. Women empowerment will bring a lot of development in society as well as in the nation.

5) What are the roles that education plays?

Education is vital in shaping the world and society. An educated society forms an educated nation. It is essential in creating a positive mindset and positive skills in an individual.