PARENTS AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS ON THE TEACHING OF SEX EDUCATION IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

Sexuality education has a significant impact on family stability in the future. Unfortunately, while time and money are spent on curriculum work and the school environment in Nigeria today, surprisingly little time and attention is dedicated to the critical concerns of sex education.

Sex education, as defined by Dajumor (2013), is a complete and systematic development program that spans infancy through adulthood. It is organized and geared at the production of socially and morally ideal sexual attitudes, practices, and personal behavior. Unfortunately, sex issues have a catastrophic impact on both people and society as a whole. Sex education, on the other hand, is concerned with the processes and issues of reproduction in order to provide the person with understanding and control over their sex drives and behavior. It also addresses the fundamentals of both individual and social issues arising from the biological reality that humans are divided into two basic categories – males and females.

Some individuals have misconceptions regarding sex education. This is hardly unexpected given that many elderly individuals have their own perspectives on life. With increased sex conversation freedom in society and children's earlier maturation nowadays, introducing sex education to adolescents would not be considered too early. The provision of adequate sex education to teenagers would alleviate many societal issues (AJejeebhoy, 1998).

According to AJejeebhoy (1998), putting boys and girls in the same school generates issues with physical touch and emotional engagement, which eventually leads to stimulating sexuality. As a result, the majority of Nigerian parents and instructors assume that their children's sex education is their duty, while some would welcome its inclusion in the school curriculum (Joseph, 2011).

The necessity for sex education to be taught in secondary schools in Edo state cannot be underscored. This is due to the inflow of individuals from many ethnic groups into the locality. Edo state has grown not merely in population but also in size. The need to actualize these sexual feelings became evidence when the students are among themselves(Mahajan, 2005).. However, parents' strong preventive warnings only serve as a temporary stifling of these youth's sexual tendencies. With these children are being sent to schools and having little knowledge of sex life, a slew of issues arise as the students engage in their game of uncontrolled emotion. Hence, secondary schools, as a place for knowledge dissemination, have become the local point for the introduction of sex education. The involvement of the current generation in promiscuity and corruption, instigate the need for them to be taught what a sexual relationship is.

More so, understanding of sex education would lower the number of casualties that would have come from unlawful abortion procurement by quack physicians or nurses.

1.2 Statement Of Problems

Ignorance about sex is attributed to difficulties that are common in and among secondary students. Students' lives are wrecked when they spread false information among themselves and are mislead by others.

Today, the consequences of a lack of sex education for teenagers are manifold, including unexpected pregnancies, an increase in abortion, a high frequency of sexually transmitted illnesses, and high rates of sexual promiscuity. All of this has resulted in inability to concentrate, poor school performance, deterioration of students' psychological health, a high incidence of school dropouts, an increase in illiteracy, and overpopulation. As a result, the educational opportunities for Nigerian young are substantially impacted, posing a significant loss to the society.

Unfortunately, religious organizations consider sex education to be premature, perilous, and likely to lead to sexual promiscuity. On the other hand,  behavioral experts, claims that the introduction of sex education is appropriate. Unfortunately, despite the growing number of sexual disorders, parents and schools continue to fail to provide youngsters with adequate sexual education.

However, many administrations have been concerned about the right level at which sex education should be introduced, who should teach it, and what should be taught and what should not be taught. It should be acknowledged, however, that appropriate sex education doesn't really arouse macabre imagination in young people, but rather the opposite. Whereas, misinformation, secrets, misunderstanding, and tales regarding sex functions, on the other hand, have severe effects. As a result, information regarding sex education helps people comprehend sex functions.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

This study is generally focused on parents and teachers perception on the teaching of sex education in Nigerian secondary school. Specifically, the study aims at;

1.        Ascertain the perception of teachers on whether sex education helps to control of students sex impulses and behaviour.

2.        Identify teachers perception on the factors affecting the teaching of sex education in secondary schools.

3.        Ascertain teachers perception on the consequences of the ineffectiveness teaching of sex education in secondary schools.

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following questions;

1)        Does teachers perceive sex education to be helpful in controlling students sex impulses and behaviour?

2)        What are the factors affecting the teaching of sex education in secondary schools?

3)        What are the consequences of the ineffectiveness teaching of sex education in secondary schools?

1.5 Significance Of The Study

The outcome of this research programme will enable the readers not only to identity the need for introducing the course sex education into secondary school curriculum, but will also assist in the enumeration of the problems occurring due to the non-introduction of sex education into secondary schools and possible solution to the elimination of such associated problems. It will also help the readers to understand that the babies got from unwanted pregnancy by school girls may be fatherless, thus they will always create problems to their parents and also the society in general.

It is hoped that through the findings, the various misconceptions on the issue of sex education will be corrected. There can be nothing more damaging to effective sex reduction than shame, embarrassment and untruthfulness on timidity about sex. It is also hoped that a solution to the problems affecting sex education will be achieved so that meaningful sex education will be taught to our youths.

Solving the issue of sex education will go far in improving on the health of every individual, school performance, population growth and therefore lighten the standard of living.

With the knowledge and not ignorance of sex education, youth will be in a better position to understand the challenges of growing up and the values of sex as well as its pit falls.

1.6 Scope Of The Study

This study is major directed to parents and teachers perception on the teaching of sex education in Nigerian secondary school. The study will further narrow down to ascertaining the perception of teachers on whether sex education helps to control of students sex impulses and behaviour, identifying teachers perception on the factors affecting the teaching of sex education in secondary schools, and ascertaining teachers perception on the consequences of the ineffectiveness teaching of sex education in secondary schools. The study will cover some selected secondary schools in Esan Central Local Government Area Of Edo State.

1.7. Limitations Of The Study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents.

In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. 

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries of the world.

1.8 Definition Of Term

Sex: A fundamental driving force in relationship between the biological need to produce, culture influence love and affection of human life.

Sexual relationship: Sexual intercourse by both sexes. It also has something to do with having canal knowledge of each other.

Promiscuity: Indiscriminate sexual relationship that occurs outside marriage life.

Education: This is the act of acquiring knowledge that intend to produce a positive result. It is also a process of changing the behaviour of a person.

Sex education: Composes of the knowledge of the male and the female anatomy on parts of the body, the basic process of human reproduction and developments, sexual intercourse, consequences and responsibilities, contraception or pregnancy prevention and where or how to get counselling

Curriculum: This can be descried as the list of projects to be studied in any course of study. It can also be defined as a planned course of instruction.

Teenagers: This is the stage of development in human being between 10 – 

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