By: Claudia Orozco

This article aims to present Sexual Education analyzed by 7 easy steps:
1) Who is to teach SexEd? and who is supposed to receive that education?
2) Should SexEd be taught? Why yes or why not?
3) What should SexEd curriculum have?
4) How should SexEd be taught?
5) What is needed in order to teach SexEd?
6) When to teach SexEd? When is the “best age”?
7) Where to teach SexEd? Schools vs. homes

Since covering all of these topics is rather large, I’m dividing these questions in different articles. I hope you can find some interesting questions and suggestions about the topic of SexEd; especially, because it is never-ending issue.

Before tackling the first question, it is necessary to define what it is understood by education so we can depart from a solid platform. Education is a process of improving human capacities. It is believed that humans are far more perfect from other creatures in the world because of two constitutive notes: intelligence and will. Education is this science in charge of making humans more humans, more capable of understanding their situations and electing the best choices for them.

Education deals with the teaching and learning process. If we think of it, we are always learning, even before we were born! Researches about social development and language skills in children go back to children’s first months of conception and have found out that children do learn and express it when they are already born - the National Institute of Child Health and Development in the US says.

It is crucial to understand that the learning activity always comes from the insight of people. Just the ones that have inner motivation would be willing to learn. People can learn from other people, but also from situations and/or things. Regarding the teaching activity, it is actually done with a purpose: that someone learns. But it doesn’t always get its aim, since learning comes from within (not an outside process). I mean, people CAN prepare stimuli in order for the others to reach learning, but it is not a warranty that it happens.

Who teaches and who learns is the topic of our first question. Can we say that teachers and parents (basically grown-ups) are the ones who teach and the children (or young people) are the learners? Could it be the other way around: children teaching and adults learning? Does this idea remind you of how technological and informed are younger generations? What characteristics should a “teacher” of SexEd should have? Should they have a lot of information or also experience? What should they know and who should they be? Is it a matter of just being “trained” about sexual concepts? Can anyone talk about sexuality? Can a person who has gotten a sexual transmitted disease teach others how not to get it? Can a person who has not had sexual intercourse teach others about sexual topics? Is it an easy-for-everyone topic to cover? If we said previously that we can learn from people AND from situations... Which situations can teach us better about our sexuality? What are the essential traits a person teaching SexEd should have? Interesting questions, aren’t they?

The topic of sexuality is rather difficult, since it makes people confront their own sexuality and raises anxiety. It is clear that a person who teaches SexEd cares about it and needs to do something about it too. Not everyone may feel as free to talk about sexuality. For example, some parents may feel uncomfortable talking about it with their children, some teachers may skip this chapter of their pupil’s health book, etc.

Teaching requires certain requisites. First people need to KNOW what they are talking about. But it is not about knowing (a computer knows far more about almost everything than a human, and yet a computer can’t replace a person). It is the whole knowing information + knowing how to teach it + living it!

Teachers represent authority. I’m talking about teachers as “the ones who teach” (parents, younger people, situations, etc. are included here). In order to have and maintain authority, a teacher should be genuine and sincere, a confident person who helps others to become better men and women.

The question is… how many people who teach SexEd cover these traits?

More about it in the next article!

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