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XATURE A.."ID EXTE.","f Of" TH£ PROBL;EM

In recent t imes , neeting the medica.l and psychosocial needs of the adolescent challenges health and educational

authori,ies (Conwell 1971 and Friedman 1985). More so when it cones to the issue of sex education, and sex

and the adolescent (Ma�tand 1978). This according to Fried.nan (1985) is due to three main !actors.

( i) (ii) (iii)

age at menarche which appeus to be occurring at an earliE!r age;

urbanization which is ta.king place at an accelerated pace, and

the population explosion of the young.

Researchers in this area such as Lanccl et al (1978),

Windokun (1979), f"akunle (1986) suggested sex ed u cation as a solution to the adolescent sexual problems which result

!rom the three !actors mentioned above.

All over the �'Orld discussions on se x, sexual problems sex education in relation to the adolescent have become very

controversial , As ment1oned in the introduction the

questions that arise !rou the Dost controversial issues ar�:

ls sex education necessary or desirablQ7

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What kind of sex education should be taught? and

\.Jho should teach it?

According to Akinrolabu (1985) parents are the ideal persons to teach sc.x education. It was however

pointed out that since parents have not been able to do the job successfully governments have theretore been

called upon to introduce sex education into the sch oo ls' curriculu�, thereby giving the school/teachers a.11lple

opportunity to educate the student on what sex is all about (�1asland 1978, Akinrolabu 1985). However not all

authorities on sex education agree that it �hould be

taught in schools. Some adhere to the belief that it is the responsibility of a child's parents , since p.uents know

their offspring best and are particularly Wl?ll placed to answer questions . Reports of some studicf', such as scix education and sexual experience al'long adolescents by

Furstenbero et al (1985) , reveals that sex education

programmes reduce the level of sexual activity, and that they supple:�cnt rathor than undemine the influence of

pa r P.nts.

However Niocria does not have o. comprohcnsivo .ex education prograt!Jrn� , most especially for the adolescents ,

consequen t ly , there is an increa�e in lhe problems of

ad o lescent sexuality . Besides, the threo !actors mentioned a• the cause of the problem, - urbanization, early ao� of

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�enarche and the increase 1n number of adolescents are very true of NigerJ.a and other developing countries, Therefore

secondary schools' teachers of biology, health science, nature study or any allied subject, as well as married

teachers in schools , old enough to be students• parents, who may be able to teach the subject effectively, without

any antisocial behaviour resulting from it, hav� been

suggested for teaching sex education, Here related topics arc taught, such as reproduction in animals and plants,

pollination and fertilization • .

However there is much more to sex education than just getting information on basic reproduction education

and sexually transmitted diseases across to the student.

Information is important, but more important is information that results in knowledge, which further results in positive cha.n9c such �sin attitude which can lead to the practice

o! what is now known (Schofield 1973),

thus in order to resolve the prevailing situat1on of adolescent scxua.l prflcms such as abortion, 0 dru9 abu s e,

pro�iscuity and pregnancy, the teacher is being given the responsibility of an agent of change to bring about,

positive behavioural , attitudinal and percepti v e changes in the student, It 1a 1.nadcquatc just to give a student

�ducation on sex �ithout a follow up or an assurance of a poGit1vo �ff�ct towards cha.no� on the &tudent

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To further compound the issue of involvement of schools 1n sex educ4tion are the report� oi male teachers having

sexual dealings with female students , /\n example is a case at St. Anne•s School, Molete (girls only school) in which

a mille teacher put a !om two girl in the f am ily way and was found out when he took her to a medical doctor !or an

abortion (Ayodelc, personal co1111t1unication 1Q86). This is however one among 11111.ny other cases.

The point however, is what if this kind of teacher happens to be a biolooy'or health science teacher, how

is he expected to teach sex educcation effectively? Even some female students are known to intentionally entice

the male teacher in order to pasb their e.x�ination or receive hioher marks than merited .

In addition, because of the culturally built-in

inhibitions, secondary school teachers, 1110.y not successfully handle sex education in the school without some training

(A!olabi 1978).

Froo tho above , the following questions become pertinent, Which teachers teach &W< oducation?

What is their perception of contemporary sexual bohaviour of adolescents?

Is there sufficient objectivity in sex education such that the teachGr 1 presentation i& not clouded

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or unduly 1.nfluenced by his/her prcJudices?

Since usually in schools there is the gap in teacher­

student relationship and communication level may be poor because of fear and/or mistrust, is the teacher

teaching sex education accepted by the student?

Also sex education ha� been described as a highly

charged topic fraught 1�i th cultural, emotional and physical reactions from d1.fferent people (\\'indoku.n 1979) which ma.y

act as a barrier to effective co�1111unication and/or reception

in sex education.

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