October Highlights

After reading the following write-up ‘Hugging ban can benefit learners’ http://www.ewn.co.za/Story.aspx?Id=75458 (do read) I decided the issue had to be discussed. Firstly I spoke to the schools spokesperson that happens to be Bronagh Casey, spokesperson for the MEC for Basic Education in the Western Cape. Casey responded by saying, “There were some concerns that learners were acting inappropriately towards each which is against the schools code of conduct, hugging isn’t banned the school is just enforcing the rules of the school’s code of conduct.

Although the response was short and safe I then decided to speak to a professional preferably someone who studies sexual behaviours someone like Dr Eve to findout whether this type of approach in schools really help? Dr Eve’s responses, “If we going to be criminalising behaviour such as showing affection or any kind of sexuality we going to foster a curious mind. One has to look at where the responsibility lies and it does not lie with repeat criminalising of sexual behaviour with any figure of authority coming in and trying to control this kind of behaviour. One of these negatives of banning touching especially with boys is that they begin to associate any form of touching with sex by the time they get to be young adults they get into significant relationships specifically with women any touch leads to sex which leads to a breakdown in relationships.".

Here are some of the listener’s responses to the question should sex education be introduced in schools:

“I think kids are getting too much sex education they do not even know how to handle it anymore let children be children we never had any sex education our parents spoke to us and in our time there were not as many pregnant kids and teenagers rather bombard them with morals and education the sex will come afterwards. Zelda”

“Its not just schools, but the whole society that must relearn how 2 respect sex, not in an uptight puritanical way, but in recognition that it is the most fundamentally beautiful and important aspect of human culture! Ex-teacher”