MANILA, Philippines 鈥� 鈥淭here鈥檚 nowhere in our curriculum that teaches these things to learners between 0 to 4.鈥�
The Department of Education stood its ground on Tuesday, debunking claims that childhood masturbation and what critics describe as high-risk sexual behavior would be taught to school children aged four and below under the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program.
At the Senate Panel on Basic Education鈥檚 public hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked whether or not the CSE program forces educators to teach these kinds of things to learners aged 0 to 4 鈥� similar to what was circulated online.聽
This, however, was denied by DepEd Assistant Secretary Janir Datukan, who explained that these are not the kinds of things taught to children in schools, even after the issuance of the controversial Department of Education Order (DO) No. 31.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nowhere in our curriculum that teaches these things to learners between 0 [and] 4. Hindi po covered din natin yan kasi ang mga learners natin nag s-start at 5 years old sa DepEd,鈥� said Datukan.聽
鈥淟ike we said, all of the competencies that we have under this called CSE are mapped with existing learning competencies already there in the curriculum,鈥� he added.聽
Later in the hearing, panel head Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian clarified why DO 31 states that CSE shall be taught to learners of public and private schools in elementary, junior, and senior high school and of all learning centers for special education.聽
For Gatchalian, there seems to be a 鈥渄isconnect,鈥� noting that the DepEd previously argued that the legal basis of the order is the Reproductive Health Law 鈥� which clearly states that reproductive health education will only be taught to adolescents or children aged 10 to 19.聽
鈥淏ut when you go to DO 31, there鈥檚 a disconnect. It calls for the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education [for] all learners in public and private schools. And when you say all learners, this is Kindergarten all the way to Grade 12. So on legal basis alone, meron na tayong disconnect,鈥� Gatchalian pointed out.聽
At this point, DepEd Undersecretary Filemon Ray Javier interjected, explaining that DO 31 was issued to prepare children for 鈥渟ex education proper.鈥�
鈥淲hat DepEd did is to map and align existing subjects already which would have been done even in early stages of [the] education system like kindergarten. But it鈥檚 not the sex education proper; it鈥檚 just foundational knowledge. For example, in kindergarten, just the parts of the body鈥攆ive senses,鈥� said Javier.聽
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why when DO 31 was issued, it was mentioned that [it鈥檚] for all learners, but in reality, the sexuality education proper would only begin at 10 years old. Prior to that, it would just be foundational. It would be subjects that would have been taught even if there鈥檚 no Comprehensive Sexual Education order from the DepEd,鈥� he emphasized.聽