AN EDUCATION official in Davao City said the agency is currently playing a "waiting game" on the implementation of the Adolescent Reproductive Health Care or sex education module.
Department of Education (DepEd) Davao City division supervisor Helen Paguican said DepEd has advised its officers in the regions to stay mum and to wait on what will happen to their plan to incorporate sex education in the curriculum, which was set for testing in 170 pilot elementary and secondary public schools nationwide.
"It's a waiting game. We need to wait because the more we talk about it the more that it would muddle the issue. We would rather be quiet and not talk bout sex education," Paguican said in an interview Friday at the City Hall.
Paguican said two things now press the department to stay mum, a class suit filed Monday against the department on its move to include sex education in school curriculum, and the possibility that the next education secretary might not approve of said move.
Party of defeated presidential bet John Carlos "JC" De los Reyes, Ang Kapatiran, filed a class suit before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court against DepEd "because sex education modules are slanted in favor of contraceptive use."
However, even before this, the DepEd have decided to temporarily suspend the integration of sex education in basic school curriculum until a full consultation process is completed.
"For the time being, since may case na then we really should not talk about it. The matter is with the Deped central office. We will just have to wait orders from them," Paguican said.
In addition, Paguican said the department is also waiting for the next education secretary along with the rest of the Cabinet members of President-elect Benigno Aquino III.
"There will be a new DepEd secretary so the matter will be on (his or her) hands. We really don't know how the new secretary would look at the issue. It's a waiting game," Paguican said. (With Sunnex)