The Basic Education Key Value — Curiosity

By: Dominic Lloyd B. Pañares

School is learning things you don’t want to know, surrounded by people you wish you
didn’t want to know, while working toward a future you don’t know will ever come – Dave
Kellet.
“Hahays. What a wonderful afternoon to start my way going back to my sweet home. On
the east, I see the glistening sun coming down the horizon. I recognize myself walking on the street
with my schoolmates chitty chatting and laughing. Hahays. What a lousy to end my day. Hala! My
name pala! You can just call me 'Sana Oll' and I am a boy.”

“When I realized that my way home is already near, I caught a sight of a bunch of boys. I
can really say that they are students around fifteen of age. Of all of the things I heard, I can infer
that these boys, although educated, didn’t gain proper manners and morality. ‘Bai, ganda talaga
niya, isn’t it? I can just imagine Bai, what if she’s naked. Sarap! She must be very delicious.’ Uhh!
Nasty! I feel deep in my heart, though I don’t know really what are they talking about, that those
boys and their exclamation aren’t appropriate.”

“A sudden ting of my phone in my pocket agitate me. It was my Facebook. A new friend
request. A new stranger. A picture of a beautiful girl showed out of the profile that request me to
friend her. Wearing a school uniform, I could quickly distinguish that this girl came from the same
school that I studied. I accept her. It was both a pleasure and uncertainty that I feel upon abiding
her. Minutes later, a second ting stirred up my phone. It was a massage. A 'hi' from the girl in the
Facebook. Obediently, I replied her with a 'hello'. But it didn’t stop there, she keep on messaging
me until I see myself chatting on her in our home. She was a nice girl. Additionally, she was
strikingly beautiful in her face and her perfectly shaped body. The next day, I already meet her in
person. The second day, the same thing happens. The third day, I sleep already at 1 am. because
I couldn’t close my eyes until I couldn’t say 'good night and sweet dreams,' to her. One thing I
could just say that this girl has something that I am slowly attracted by her. One month has passed,
I could say that we are already best friends. Three months has passed, I feel that I could not make
up my day without her. Until, the year has passed, I could state that we are already girlfriend and
boyfriend. The next year, the last year of my school level, was the golden age of my life. It was like
every day there is a warm sunrise and in the end there is a cold sunset and repeat. But, this golden
age quickly end at the middle of the year. A beautiful and glazing fire that ended up too quickly
and couldn’t light up itself once again. It was just like I’ve fallen on a cliff at the top of my own
mountain. I couldn’t really say what is happening but there is one thing for sure I know — I am a
father now.”

There is a planned integration of an age-appropriate and culture-sensitive sex education in

the basic elementary and high school curriculum to develop responsible Filipino youth who aren’t
aware of risks and issues involving reproductive health, according to the Department of Education
(DepEd). In contrary, there is still people who are very cautious in teaching this vulnerable type of
learning.

Five years since the constitutionality of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive
Health (RPRH) law was upheld by the Supreme Court (SC), the Philippines is still grappling with
a high number of teenage pregnancy cases, according to the Commission on Population (Popcom).
The country’s teenage pregnancy had declined to 47 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 based
on the 2017 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), Popcom National Capital Region
director, Lydio Español said.

Meanwhile, the secretary of Education, Leonor Briones said that there is a need to
introduce a comprehensive sexuality education policy to students to curb rising incidences of early
pregnancy, sexual violence and human-immunodeficiency virus among young Filipinos. However,
the Catholic Church and powerful conservative crusaders have struck back with a high-profile
campaign to shut down the project, saying it breaks the nation's religion-based moral codes.

Sex education, including it’s spiritual aspects, should be part of a broad health and moral
education from kindergarten through grade twelve, ideally carried out harmoniously by parents
and teachers — Benjamin Spock.

Lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights, inadequate access to
services tailored to young people, sexual violence, curiosity and experimentation are one of the
most causes of teenage pregnancy and fatherhood. Correct learning and knowledge could help one
teenager signify what is right and what is wrong in the talks about human pleasure.