The problem with sex education in Thailand

[webfact]

 

In Thailand, sex education is combined with health education. 3rd graders, usually between 8 and 9 years old, will begin learning about sexual harassment at school, with teachers explaining what it is and how to avoid these situations.

 

Is the 3rd grade early enough and is what the school provides enough to protect them? What do youths, and parents with children in the Thai educational system, think about their sex education? Some say the curriculum is outdated, while some parents say sex education should be introduced before the 3rd grade.

 

Thai PBS World spoke to 2 parents on a vox pop and they added on the matter that starting to learn about sexual harassment in the 3rd grade is too late, they should start in kindergarten, because most small children can be easily deceived. Some people might bring snacks to tempt them, we have to teach them.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/the-problem-with-sex-education-in-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-11-08

 

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[tingtong]

Teaching in school or not....

 

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

 

As for some ppl might bring snacks ...

Most kids, in Thailand too, abused by family members or close family friend, or those they are the under care and said to trust, like teachers, monks.

The sad truth.

 

 

[Orinoco]

Uncles and brothers often help in this department. 

TIT.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Orinoco

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai PBS World spoke to 2 parents on a vox pop and they added on the matter that starting to learn about sexual harassment in the 3rd grade is too late, they should start in kindergarten, because most small children can be easily deceived. Some people might bring snacks to tempt them, we have to teach them.

If kids in kindy are being "tempted", something has gone fundamentally wrong with society, IMO.

 

Whatever they are told in school it can't be worse than when I was at school. My sole "sex education" in primary school was a teacher advising us to get a bed with a strong footboard.

In secondary school, I don't remember any at all. We ended our school years knowing nothing about relationships whatsoever, never mind sex.

 

[fredwiggy]

Sex education is first the parents job. Sad thing is that a lot here look at school as the primary teachers of everything. It's a parents job to educate children not to not trust anyone but to understand what good and bad touch is. Not to go with anyone besides someone they know very well. That there are many bad people in this world and they could be authority figures. A culture which believes a 15 year old consent age for sex is a major problem, and it's the parents job to teach the child that it isn't good to follow what other children do, that doing so involves consequences they might be very hurt from. That there is little chance that a boy will stay around if a child is born, and that raising a child as a child is an impossible task, and that pawning that child over to grandma is not only wrong, it isn't their job. When a child can understand what you are saying is when to start talking about bad touch, and your close relationship with your child is very important, because they will come to you with questions that you are better to answer than their also non educated peers. I've been a step father and know fully well that the highest chance of sexual abuse comes from step parents, friends and family. More than 90% of abuse victims know their abusers. This is how they are groomed or manipulated. trusting someone they think they can trust. One in four girls and one in six boys will be abused by the time they are 17. Sad facts and shows what kind of world we live in. Protecting your children is first the parents job, and this means talking to them as early as they can understand, and following up into their teen years.

[ikke1959]

In my school I think there is no sex eduction at all. I only do 1 lesson a year for 6th grade for World Aids Day, and that is the most funny lesson of the year. The kids are very shy and even the Thai teachers get red ears if talk about aids and sex. But the kids they want to know more and more and they feel free to as everything , but after 3/4 of the hour is passed because it is totally new subject for them it seems.   

Even in the O net test there is a question what you should do if you feel horny with he right answer, go play football......just to mention what the sex education is in Thailand

Edited November 7, 2021 by ikke1959

[jaiyen]

So they want to teach kids about sexual harassment, when they don't even know anything about sex !  Typical Thai education system.  The teenagers don't learn the theory, only the practical !!

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

"0 years living here and 10 mof them I taught in a few schools. Sex Education, did not happen and judging by the quality of teacheing generally will be as poor as most subject supposed to be taught by teachers.

It is the PARENTS job to teach about the facts of life, but they rarely do so it is up to the children to teach each other, most wrongly, hence the number of pregnancies and abuse by members of the family . .

Education generally here is typical Thai knee jerk reaction  as with everything, talked about but rarely happens. 

 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, tingtong said:

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

It is a good point, but my perception here in Thailand is the parents do not seem to invest much time in teaching their kids much at all. 

[Sydebolle]

"3rd graders between 8 and 9 years old (are taught) about sexual harassment at school what it is and how to avoid these situations."

If this is really true, then impose lifelong jail sentences without pardoning appeal in the future and publicly humiliate these "educators".

Trust me, if anyone would touch a child in my custody, (s)he would definitely not survive it - irrespective of consequences I would face afterwards!

[Moti24]

Only sex education!

 

How about a completely new education system.  It'll take 50 years to filter out all the dross, so better start now.

[tonray]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

Waiting for the lesson on Mia Nois 

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

We ended our school years knowing nothing about relationships whatsoever

That explains some things but is not really an excuse - there are somethings we have to figure out on our own at a certain point... 

[1FinickyOne]

8 minutes ago, tonray said:

Waiting for the lesson on Mia Nois 

one is not good because will fight w/mia yai

two is a problem because 2 will gang up on one

three is the magic number of beginning to find harmony as it will be 2 vs 2... 

 

just saying. 

[edwinchester]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

Teaching in school or not....

 

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

 

As for some ppl might bring snacks ...

Most kids, in Thailand too, abused by family members or close family friend, or those they are the under care and said to trust, like teachers, monks.

The sad truth.

 

 

Judging by what is going on at our own daughter's online classes very few parents take an interest in what is taught and most are elsewhere working anyway.

As for sex education I would like to see a national lesson plan put together by experts and relevant to the kids age, that way all kids would be having the same lessons on the subject. Sadly there seems very little chance of that happening.

[Card]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

Teaching in school or not....

 

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

 

As for some ppl might bring snacks ...

Most kids, in Thailand too, abused by family members or close family friend, or those they are the under care and said to trust, like teachers, monks.

The sad truth.

 

 

What happens if the parents don't teach it to their kids? No, essential teaching should be done at least in schools otherwise some kids end up deprived.

 

As for the rest of your rant, what about the Catholic church in the west, or orphanages and scout/sport groups? You make it sound like only Thailand suffers from child sex abuse. It is universal.

[steven100]

Best to remind the parents on how to protect one's family from other relatives ....

it's pretty basic and natural in western society,  but fails in Thailand as most things do.

[Gottfrid]

Teaching about being carful with strangers is not sex education! It is also something that is the sole responsibility of the parents, and has absolutely nothing to do with kindergarten teaching. Sex education starting at 8-9 years of age, is perfectly enough.

[BangkokReady]

55 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

"3rd graders between 8 and 9 years old (are taught) about sexual harassment at school what it is and how to avoid these situations."

If this is really true, then impose lifelong jail sentences without pardoning appeal in the future and publicly humiliate these "educators".

Trust me, if anyone would touch a child in my custody, (s)he would definitely not survive it - irrespective of consequences I would face afterwards!

Are you saying you think that the article claims explaining what sexual harassment is and how to avoid it means actually sexually harassing/abusing the children?  Otherwise, I don't understand your call for punishment of teachers for discussing sexual harassment.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, tingtong said:

Teaching in school or not....

 

Ultimately it is the job of the parents to teach about the basics, not kindergarten teachers.

 

As for some ppl might bring snacks ...

Most kids, in Thailand too, abused by family members or close family friend, or those they are the under care and said to trust, like teachers, monks.

The sad truth.

 

 

'....family members..'

 

Yes, my buddies Thai brother in law, about 45 years old, had taken a shine to buddies 2nd daughter and visited/stayed often, always wanting give the little girl a bath, 2 or 3 times a day and continuously change her clothes, many times per day.

 

When buddy discovered his BIL was bathing his daughter and taking 45 + minutes each time he insisted it stop and made a loud/clear statement that BIL was not allowed:

• - to give the little girl a bath
• - change her clothes
• - take her to his bedroom or be in the little girls shared bedroom (which she shared with an older sister)
• - take her for a walk / go to the local shopping complex alone.

After a few months the little girls older sister, in tears, told her mother and father that uncle was coming into the girls bedroom in the early morning and putting his hands on the little one under the bed covers.

 

Uncle was there at the house when the older girl spoke up. The girls father lost his cool and ordered his to leave and never return. and never come near the family wherever they were.

 

Then he started a discussion with his Thai wife 'do we tell the police?'

 

Same day the older brother and sister of the farangs' Thai wife came to the house.

 

They had been told all the details.

 

Now the twist: They mentioned that the errant uncle was never lucky with girlfriends and he wanted a little girl, so the little girls parents should give him the little girl to take home to be his daughter.

 

Farang knew the local senior cop, so he called the snr. cop and asked if he could come quickly to the house.  Cop came and before long lined up the errant uncle and the two older aunt & uncle and told them he was gong back to the station to prepare charges against all of them. 

 

[BangkokReady]

8 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Teaching about being carful with strangers is not sex education!

Yes, they seem to be conflating sex education, abuse and harassment, when they are different (although connected) things.

 

All are important to discuss, but they are not the same and would be better discussed separately.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Is the 3rd grade early enough and is what the school provides enough to protect them? What do youths, and parents with children in the Thai educational system, think about their sex education? Some say the curriculum is outdated, while some parents say sex education should be introduced before the 3rd grade.

Putting a condom on a banana doesn't stop pregnancy.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If kids in kindy are being "tempted", something has gone fundamentally wrong with society, IMO.

The kids aren't being tempted at a young age, they are being molested be elders.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

It's a parents job to educate children not to not trust anyone but to understand what good and bad touch is. Not to go with anyone besides someone they know very well.

Daddy, are you sure this is okay?

Uncle, I don't think this is correct.

Brother, should we really be doing this?

Why do you keep telling me not to tell anyone if it's fine?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

"3rd graders between 8 and 9 years old (are taught) about sexual harassment at school what it is and how to avoid these situations."

If this is really true, then impose lifelong jail sentences without pardoning appeal in the future and publicly humiliate these "educators".

Trust me, if anyone would touch a child in my custody, (s)he would definitely not survive it - irrespective of consequences I would face afterwards!

So you would willingly deprive the child of your presence in their life, because you took it on yourself to break the law. What good would that do?

Far better to teach them properly, and in the event of a crime being used on them let the law deal with it. At least you'll be able to give them support, which you won't from prison.

[McTavish]

Sex education begins at home ......

.

.

.

.

..... someone else's home ????

[thaibeachlovers]

22 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Are you saying you think that the article claims explaining what sexual harassment is and how to avoid it means actually sexually harassing/abusing the children?  Otherwise, I don't understand your call for punishment of teachers for discussing sexual harassment.

It does come across like that, though I think he misunderstood the OP.

[thaibeachlovers]

32 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Teaching about being carful with strangers is not sex education! It is also something that is the sole responsibility of the parents, and has absolutely nothing to do with kindergarten teaching. Sex education starting at 8-9 years of age, is perfectly enough.

I'd have been so mortified if my parents had tried to educate me about sex I wouldn't have heard a word.

Far better to be educated by experts, but most teachers are probably also embarrassed by teaching it to kids. Should be special teachers that travel around, and not known to the kids.

[jacko45k]

24 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Yes, my buddies Thai brother in law, about 45 years old, had taken a shine to buddies 2nd daughter and visited/stayed often, always wanting give the little girl a bath, 2 or 3 times a day and continuously change her clothes, many times per day.

Buddy left it a bit late.... should have had a boot up the derrière somewhat sooner!

[Orinoco]

Jokes apart

Whats better, education from red tube  and sites like this or education from schools and parents.

This is a global problem, they all need to wake up.