Ibinasura ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang panukala ng Department of Health (DoH) na pamimigay ng condom sa mga estudyante, bilang hakbang para maiwasan ang teenage pregnancy at masugpo ang pagkalat ng HIV/AIDS infection.
Sinabi ni Education Secretary Leonor Briones na hindi nila papayagan ang mungkahi ng DoH na mamahagi ng contraceptives sa mga menor de edad na estudyante.
Binigyang-diin ng DepEd na ang kanilang pangunahing papel ay repasuhin at palakasin ang basic education curriculum.
“We will follow the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) guidelines on reproductive health, including the requirements of the Constitution and the law,” sabi ni Briones.
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“Obviously what we’re allowed to do is to improve the curriculum,” punto pa niya.
Nilinaw ni Briones, walang ipamamahaging contraceptives – partikular ang condom – sa mga paaralan.
“Nothing within the school premises because right now you have the health centers who are already tasked with that function,” aniya.
Sa halip na mamahagi ng condom, ang DepEd – ayon kay Briones – ay magpopokus sa “consequences” ng pre-marital sex at sa panganib nito “but not the distribution.”
Pinasabihan na aniya nila si Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial na hindi nila susuportahan ang naturang plano ng DoH.
“They discussed this carefully during their last meeting and they respect each others’ mandate and decision,” sabi ng isang impormante sa DepEd.
HAYY…SALAMAT
Ikinatuwa ng Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) ang desisyong ito ni Briones.
“We welcome the decision of Sec. Briones not to allow our schools to become distribution centers of DOH’s condoms,” sabi ni TDC National Chair Benjo Basas.
Idiniin ng TDC, binubuo ng 30,000 miyembro, na hindi sila tutol sa tamang “sexuality education” ngunit ang pamamahagi ng condom “could be disturbing and could deliver a wrong message to the young students.”
(MARY ANN SANTIAGO at MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT)
