ATTITUDE OF MOTHERS TOWARDS THE INTRODUCTION OF SEX EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE
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ATTITUDE OF MOTHERS TOWARDS THE INTRODUCTION OF SEX EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE
ABSTRACT
The study looked at mothers’ attitudes about the implementation of sex education in secondary schools, with a focus on secondary schools in Enugu urban, Enugu state.
The study included two hundred and ten moms from seven urban secondary schools. A random sample of 30 women was drawn from each school. The investigation was conducted using a questionnaire.
The questionnaire was designed and validated by an expert, and its reliability was assessed by statisticians. The data collected was analysed using the mean. The results revealed that mothers’ attitudes influence the teaching of sex education in Nigerian schools.
Lack of sex education in schools increases the rate of early pregnancy, illegal abortion among adolescents, and contact with sexually transmitted illnesses. As a result, the researchers proposed that the government promote sex education in secondary schools.
Chapter One: Introduction
Background of the study
A happy family is the foundation of a stable and healthy society, as well as the key to personal happiness. Education should address not just physical hygiene, but also the economic, social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of family life.
Family education, particularly for adolescents and post-adolescents, is currently under significant consideration. This project will concentrate on sex education at our secondary school in Enugu Urban.
Sex education is an integral aspect of comprehensive life education, which begins at birth and continues through all stages of development. Sex in the formative first five years of a child’s life sets the foundation for his future sex attitude and behaviour.
According to Chissel (1945), professionals should teach sex education in schools and colleges, but this type of teacher is difficult to find, given that sex is an area of human existence that requires little or no direction on how to proceed.
Sex education is the process of learning and understanding about human sexuality. For many years in Africa, sex education and public talks about human sexuality were forbidden, particularly among Christians; no one wanted it. It might be appropriate to remind Christians and anyone who believe that discussing sex will lead to sexual misconduct and abuse of two things.
First, even without properly discussing or stating anything about sex in public places, sexual misconduct has increased simply due to a lack of understanding.
Second, it is beneficial to remind us of a variety of positive facts regarding human sexuality. (Odunze 1990) The importance of sex education cannot be overstated. It goes without saying that people have different perspectives on sex education.
This is linked to puritanical roots, the Christian idea of sex as original and traditional sin, and the ethnic character of marriage. Our sexual instinct is part of our nature, given to us by God.
We have witnessed the repercussions of sex education’s inhibition, insensitivity, illogic, and irrationality. Pomeroy (1981) said that individuals would repeatedly tell me that if I had been given more information about these issues when I was younger, or if I had a more open attitude towards sex, I would not have made such a mess of my life. It’s awful that somebody can make such a horrible statement in this day and age, and that parents still adhere to conventional ideas.
The manners and morals of the nineteenth century are still very much with us and continue to cause irreparable harm and suffering. I agree with the statement that, rather than joining the prophets of disaster who see only trouble ahead of us and demand a return to the good old days, we should acknowledge the changes that are upon us and accept responsibility for directing them with all the rationality, foresight, and skill that we are capable of.
Sex education has been defined in many ways. One such approach is provided by Shy (1976:4), who defines sex education as “education which teaches the young person what he/she should know for his/her personal conduct and relationships with others.”
In light of the above definition, questions such as who will teach the young person and what age range the young person is may arise. These types of questions have straightforward responses.
Sex education should begin in childhood. The reason for this is that an individual begins to acquire feelings about himself and others in his life, including his mother, father, siblings, and sisters, as early as infancy. Growth and growth are ongoing processes. A child is naturally fascinated about his surroundings and his relationships with the people in it.
As he ages, he develops strong innate urges that frequently conflict with the rules and standards of the group to which he belongs. If he is to live happily with himself and as a member of the group, he must learn to comprehend, accept, and cope appropriately with the changes that are occurring within him, as well as control and guide his sex impulses in personally rewarding and socially acceptable ways.
The authors agreed that sex education should begin in infancy, but chose to focus their research on secondary institutions. The reason for this is that secondary school students range in age from twelve to seventeen, and even twenty. At this age, the growing youngster is both impressionable and inquisitive.
This is because the general sickness in today’s Nigerian society can be linked back to a sex craze, which is caused by an inadequate or ill-informed understanding of the intentions and goals of sexual activity.
In response to the second issue, “Who will teach sex education?” the authors argue that it should be everyone’s responsibility because sex pervades all stages of life.
Sex education aims to provide knowledge about human reproduction, prevent sex abuse, control the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses, reduce the risks of adolescent pregnancy, and promote positive interpersonal connections between the sexes.
It has been noted that the population has generally increased over time. As previously said, this is due to people giving birth without first considering whether or not they can care for their children.
Some girls can become pregnant prematurely. Without a doubt, ladies’ lives are in risk if the awful trend continues. Many young girls die in childbirth.
Aside from premature mortality, a lack of awareness about sex-related concerns has previously led to boys and girls engaging in sexual activities without realising the consequences.
At the end of it all, many girls had children who were not respected and wanted in society; some of them, both boys and girls, contracted sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS;
some girls committed abortion in order to avoid the social stigma associated with carrying a pregnancy outside of married life; some girls had their fallopian tubes rendered infertile due to improper abortion administration; and so on.
According to Lapido (1984), a lack of awareness about sex among young people contributes to the development of bastards and illegal offspring who grow up to annoy and molest society.
The home, schools, and churches are all educational agencies that play important roles in the mental and physical development of children. Nwegbu (1974) suggested that the home and school are failing to meet expectations in terms of providing sex education in their homes because many parents are inadequate or unwilling to provide sex education to their children. Students must rely on their own initiative and what they may learn from their friends and classmates.
As a result, individuals experience significant emotional stress and strain for a variety of reasons. Among the twelve age groups, the most serious issue may be a lack of knowledge regarding sex. Even when parents are educated and capable of providing specialised sex education, they frequently withhold it.
According to Onigbo (2000), abortion accounts for more than half of all emergency gynaecological admissions in most impoverished countries and localities, putting a significant strain on scarce medical resources. In a five-year examination of women treated for illegal abortions at Enugu’s university teaching hospital, 90% were unmarried teens.
Between 1970 and 1977, at the University of Benin’s teaching hospital, 61 percent of abortion-related admissions involved youths who had never married. In light of the high and increasing rates of unwanted pregnancy and illegal abortion among adolescents, the inclusion of sex education in primary and secondary school curricula is a positive trend.
Following the implementation of sex education in schools, there is a need to understand mothers’ attitudes, sentiments, and behaviours about sex education, which is why this study is relevant.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
According to Anerobi, Eya, Oguike, and Okwuma (1991:3), attitude is a key factor in health. A positive attitude is vital for the promotion and maintenance of mental, social, and emotional health. Some mothers in Enugu’s urban area have negative attitudes towards sex education. Some of them have negative attitudes towards sex education.
For example, some believe that teaching or discussing sex with young children may lead to promiscuity later in life. Sex education focusses on educating about sex roles, conception, happy married life, childbirth, and the avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases. Youths who do not receive sex education will be unaware of the human reproductive system.
There will be instances where sex is utilised for inappropriate purposes. Sexually transmitted diseases are likely to spread rapidly. The risks associated with adolescent pregnancy will also grow.
Finally, interpersonal relationships can be weak. So, after examining the aforementioned concerns that could arise as a result of a lack of sex education, it was decided to conduct research to learn about the attitudes of mothers in Enugu urban regarding the inclusion of sex education in the secondary school curriculum.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
The goal of this study was to determine mothers’ attitudes regarding the implementation of sex education in secondary schools in Enugu.
Significance of the Study
In many ways, the research is seen as quite important.
Mothers: This study will help mothers understand the need of developing a positive attitude towards sex education. The mothers’ information gained from this study will help them to teach their children how to avoid contracting veneral illnesses.
Teachers: This study will be beneficial to teachers. It will introduce them to the best techniques and strategies for giving sex education to students while being discreet.
Policymaker: The findings of this study will be useful to policymakers in the field of sexual education. With this information, the relevant government authorities will develop guidelines for teaching sexual education in secondary and primary schools.
Curriculum: Once finished, the study will provide data for curriculum planners to use when building a sex education curriculum.
Researcher: This study will serve as a springboard for future researchers who may like to do a study on human sexuality; it will also help researchers understand the value of sex education in human lives.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
There are many schools in Enugu, but the researchers limited their investigation to only seven!
(1) City Girls Secondary School, Enugu
(2) Queen’s School Enugu
(3) Urban Girls Secondary School, Enugu
(4) New layout Secondary School Enugu.
(5) Metropolitan Girls Secondary School, Enugu
(6) Government Technical College, Enugu
(7) Government Secondary School, Enugu
This study focused on working-class mothers who are teachers. The reason for limiting it to teachers is that they are the ones who administer the curriculum. Secondly, they will be able to complete the questionnaire (written). The illiterate mothers must be interviewed orally.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
(1) What is the mother’s opinion towards the introduction of sex education in secondary schools?
(2) What tactics should be used in the teaching of sex education?
(3) What is the goal of introducing or teaching sex education in secondary school?
Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined:
Malaise is a feeling of body discomfort that does not appear to be caused by any specific sickness.
Sex is defined as the totality of individual traits that distinguish partners engaging in sexual reproduction.
Attitude: A person’s position, behaviour, feeling, or action towards an object, person, or subject.
Mother: A female parent or woman who has adopted a child.
Illegitimate birth occurs when unmarried parents give birth to a child.
Promiscuity is the act of having multiple sexual partners without regard for their sexual activity.
Mania is an extremely great passion or excitement for something.
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