LettersPitting teen sexual desire against badminton exposes Hong Kong’s timid approach

As important as it is for students to recognise the consequences of premarital sex, teaching teenagers also requires a carefully devised approach as they are likely to reject guidance from grown-ups. Attempts to contain adolescent desire by stressing punishment would probably backfire, prompting students to try and push the boundaries instead. The teaching material appears to have the well-intentioned aim of offering pupils an error-free path towards adulthood while downplaying the possibility that their teenage years could be a phase of discovery resulting from trial and error.

Given that the curriculum is meant for junior secondary students who are roughly aged 12 to 15, can it adequately prepare them if they do choose to engage, legally, in sexual activity when they turn 16? If the purpose of sex education that the authorities have in mind is to prevent premarital sex and babies being raised by underprepared teenage parents, being reluctant to teach students how to use protection appears to contradict this purpose.

What is equally worrying is seeing public figures associating the debate with a cultural clash. For example, the chairman of the Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools asked if Chinese society was expected to change and accept the distribution of condoms in school, as was the case in some countries.

Sex and gender has long been a highly sensitive topic, but our conception of it has also evolved. Incorporating modern conceptions of sexuality into our educational material, including the acknowledgement of the positive role of sex in a healthy relationship, does not entail sacrificing our traditional values. It is hard to see our society moving forward without adapting culturally to the contemporary world.