Sex-Education in Primary School: between Taboo and Urgency

Abstract

Child friendly education contains sexual education that can prevent sexual violence on children. Sexeducation has always been discussed as a thing of doubt between taboo and urgency. This study discusses the taboo and urgency of sex-education on children in primary school. The aim of this study is to find out: (1) students’ perception about understanding of sexual knowledge; (2) students’ perception about their interactions with others; (3) students’ perceptions of the changes that occur to them both physically and socially; and (4) teachers’ perceptions about sex-education in primary school. This study collecting data by means of questionnaires and interviews. The interviews done to teachers and school principals. While the questionnaires addressed to teachers and students. This research was conducted in four primary schools in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This research involved 2 principals, 15 teachers and 116 students in four primary schools. The students that involved are in grade four and six. The results show that the student were still confused in caring for and maintaining their health, aware of the change in themselves refers to puberty, the fourth grade students admit to respecting friends and knowing how to behave to others, and at sixth grade students feel confident with the changes that occur on them. However, it is found that the teacher assumes that sex-education is indeed important to be taught to elementary school students, but is still considered taboo. Limitation and future research are discussed.