Sexuality Education (SEd) in schools is about enabling students to understand the physiological, social and emotional changes they experience as they mature, develop healthy and rewarding relationships including those with members of the opposite sex, and make wise, informed and responsible decisions on sexuality matters in their growing up years. It is taught in the context of values which our mainstream society believes in – the importance of the family as the basic unit of society, encouraging healthy, heterosexual marriages, and respect for the values and beliefs of the different ethnic and religious communities on sexuality issues.

Sexuality Education focuses on the development of adolescents' values, and social and emotional competencies required to make responsible decisions regarding sexual behaviours and to build rewarding relationships based on love and respect which are the foundation for strong families.

It is also named Sexuality Education (rather than Sex Education) to emphasise the holistic approach which includes the emotional, social, intellectual and ethical aspects, in addition to the physical aspect of sex.

Sexuality Education covers the following dimensions of a person's sexuality:

Physical: Physical sexual maturation and intimacy, the physiology of sex and human reproduction
Emotional: Sexual attitudes and feelings towards self and others;
Social: Sexual norms and behaviour and their legal, cultural and societal implications; and
Ethical: Values and moral systems related to sexuality.

The three goals of Sexuality Education are:

To help students make wise, responsible and informed decisions through the provision of accurate, current and age-appropriate knowledge on human sexuality and the consequences of sexual activity;
To help students know themselves and build healthy and rewarding relationships through the acquisition of social and emotional skills of self-awareness, management of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, development of empathy for others, possession of effective communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills; and
To help students develop a moral compass, respect for themselves and for others as sexual beings, premised on the heterosexual married couple forming a nuclear family as the basic unit of society, through the inculcation of positive mainstream values and attitudes about sexuality.

The four key messages of Sexuality Education are:

Love and respect yourself as you love and respect others;
Build positive relationships based on love and respect (which are the foundation for strong families);
Make responsible decisions for yourself, your family and society, and
Abstinence before marriage is the best protection against STIs/HIV and unwanted pregnancies. Casual sex can harm and hurt you and your loved ones.

The key guiding principles of Sexuality Education are:

Home

Parents play the primary role in the sexuality education of their children. As such, they are responsible for the teaching and transmission of values on sex and sexuality. Recognising that parents have a key role in the sexuality education of their children, they can exercise their choice to opt their children out of the school’s sexuality education programme;

School

The teaching of knowledge and skills is integrated with the teaching of values which reflect that of Singapore’s mainstream society, to help students make wise, informed and responsible decisions on sexuality matters.

In accordance with our national values, Sexuality Education is premised on the family as the basic unit of society. This means encouraging healthy, heterosexual marriages and building stable nuclear family units with extended family support.

Only specially-selected teachers are trained to teach Sexuality Education. These teachers are selected because they:

believe in the importance of sexuality education for students;
possess values that are aligned with MOE values in Sexuality Education;
are comfortable discussing sexuality issues; and
have healthy rapport with students and possess good facilitation skills.

Community

In recognition of our multi-racial and multi-religious society, students and teachers will respect the different attitudes, values and beliefs regarding sexuality that these different communities may have; and
Relevant resources in the community that are in alignment with MOE Sexuality Education Framework and Implementation Guidelines may be brought in to supplement schools' sexuality education programmes where needed

More information can be accessed through the MOE website here

Overview of Sexuality Education Coverage in CCE Lessons

The MOE Sexuality Education Curriculum adopts a cross curricular approach. It is delivered through the school curriculum viz. Science, CCE Form Teacher Guidance Period (at Primary 1 to 4), and Character and Citizenship Education (at Secondary level). The Sexuality Education (SEd) lessons and the eTeens Programme, which are complementary, are staple Sexuality Education Programmes conducted under the ambit of Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).

Themes in the Sexuality Education Curriculum:

Human Development
Interpersonal Relationships
Sexual Health
Sexual Behaviour
Culture, Society and Law

eTeens: Sexuality Education Programme in Schools

Complementing the Sexuality Education CCE lessons is the eTeens programme for Sec 3 students. This programme, jointly developed by the Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with MOE, caters to emerging trends and students’ developmental needs. As "an STIs/HIV" prevention programme, it aims to provide students with accurate knowledge about "STIs/HIV", teaches protection from a health perspective and equips students with life skills to say “no” to pre-marital sex. The desired outcome of the eTeens programme is that students are empowered to make wise, informed and sensible decisions.

Implementation of Sexuality Education (SEd) Lessons and eTeens Programme

MOE Sexuality Education programmes, which comprise SEd lessons and eTeens are to be implemented as part of the CCE curriculum. SEd lessons are for Year 1-4 students; e-Teens is for Year 3. eTeens is implemented as a Mass Talk segment is to be conducted by approved external providers. Only specially-selected MOE staff and MOE-SEd trained teachers are deployed to teach SEd lessons and the class-based lesson of the eTeens programme (Secondary)

At RAFFLES GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY), the following lessons from the Sexuality Education Programme will be taught in 2023

Secondary 1 (Year 1) CCE 2023 Theme: Making Choices

Unit	Lesson(s)/Duration	Key Learning Objectives	Time Period
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Steady or Not Lesson 1 (60 mins)	Recognise the importance of monitoring and managing our emotional reactions in helpful ways that are reflective of our values and principles Understand the importance of healthy and supportive relationships Recognise that there are different forms of love (e.g. familial, platonic, romantic love) Recognise the importance and understand what builds healthy and supportive relationships, both online and offline Understand what dating is, and recognise that the readiness and interest in dating vary among individuals Sexting and PDA	Term 3
	Being Aware, Being Safe Lesson 2 (60 mins)	Understand that physical and psychological abuse from others, especially those we know and trust, can have strong negative effects on a person's self-concept	Term 3
	More than Meets the Eye Lesson 3 (60 mins)	Understand and accept that as we work towards becoming our best self, there will be times when we make mistakes, and recognise the importance of exercising moral courage in facing up to consequences Recognise that there are moral and legal consequences of risky sexual behaviours, pornography access and acting irresponsibly or maliciously when online (e.g. spreading of online falsehoods, flouting copyright laws etc.)	Term 3

Secondary 2 (Year 2) CCE 2023 Theme: Making Choices

Unit	Lesson(s)/Duration	Key Learning Objectives	Time Period
Respectful Relationships and Safety	A Role for Everyone Lesson 1 (60 mins)	Know that one’s understanding of gender roles should not be limited by gender stereotypes Develop an appreciation of one’s own unique qualities and characteristics as a male or female Understand what sexual orientation entails	Term 3
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Online Safety Challenge Lesson 2A (60 mins)	Recognise one’s vulnerability to risky situations and the importance of exercising discretion to reduce risks and avoid negative consequences, both online and offline	Term 3
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Do I or Don't I Lesson 2B (60 mins)	Recognise the importance of self-respect and respect for others in relating to members of the opposite gender Recognise one's vulnerability to risky situations and the importance of exercising discretion to reduce risks and avoid negative consequences, both offline and online	Term 3

Secondary 3 (Year 3) CCE 2023 Theme: Making Choices

Unit	Lesson(s)/Duration	Key Learning Objectives	Time Period
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Love Yourself, Love Others Lesson 1A (60 mins)	Know that self-perception and identity have an impact on our self-esteem and how we interact with others and the choices we make, both online and offline Understand that expectations of oneself and others may differ and can affect one's emotions, thoughts and behaviours Recognise what healthy dating relationships involve and know that readiness is important when entering into a dating relationship	Term 3
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Mending A Broken Heart Lesson 1B (60 mins)	Know that relationship-building involves personal emotions and vulnerabilities, and changes and challenges Know that a decision to end a relationship will have consequences on oneself and others Know that grief and loss due to rejections and broken relationships is normal and one can recover from the experience Know that there are healthy ways of coping with broken relationships, and family and friends are important pillars of support	Term 3
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Love Yourself, Love Others Lesson 2 (60 mins)	When Respect Takes Centre Stage Recognise the importance of being informed of social and moral issues of the day and the need to reflect on these issues, and weigh them against our own moral standpoints as we form our perspectives about them. Understand that we strengthen our character when we commit to sound values-based viewpoints (e.g. respect for life) and decisions, and speak and act in alignment with our beliefs.	Term 3

Secondary 4 (Year 4) CCE 2023 Theme: Making Choices

Unit	Lesson(s)/Duration	Key Learning Objectives	Time Period
Respectful Relationships and Safety	Levelling the Ground Lesson 1 (60 mins)	Understand that the value of a person is not tied to one's gender and not conforming to gender stereotypes does not negate one's gender identity. Understand what gender stereotypes comprise (e.g. notions of masculinity and femininity vary over time and space, and are shaped by societal expectations). Know that imposing gender stereotypes on oneself and other can limit one's experiences, cause harm to the self-esteem of oneself and other and should be avoided.	Term 2
	When Love Hurts Lesson 2 (60 mins)	Know there are healthy ways of coping with broken relationships, and family and friends are important pillars of support. Recognise emotions caused by traumatic situations (e.g. bullying, abuse and dating violence) and understand the physiological and psychological, social impact on victims. Understand that we need more moral courage and wisdom to recognise and end relationships that are unhealthy and cause harm to our mental and emotional well-being. Understand the importance of ensuring that non-verbal messages match with verbal ones, when communicating personal and emotional boundaries in a relationship.	Term 2
	For Better or For Worse Lesson 3 (60 mins)	Know that long-term romantic relationships leading to marriage involve understanding oneself and others in the intellectual, emotional and social and moral dimensions Know that marriage entails a union between a man and a woman based on love, trust, commitment, and requires mutual effort Understand that conflicts are normal in any relationship, including marriage, and the way in which a couple handles conflict is critical to the success of their marriage	Term 2
Respectful Relationships and Safety	There's Always More to a Story Lesson 4 (60 mins)	Understand that we strengthen our character when we commit to sound values-based viewpoints (e.g. respect for life) and decisions, and speak and act in alignment with our beliefs	Term 2

Empowered Teens (eTeens) Implementation

eTeens programme is a school-based STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections)/HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) prevention programme developed by Health Promotion Board, in collaboration with MOE for Secondary 3 students. It comprises of a talk and 1 classroom-based lesson.

Students are taught skills such as decision-making, assertiveness and negotiation to say “no” to sex and negative peer pressure. They also learn that the impact of STIs/HIV extends beyond themselves and involves their family. Abstinence and upholding family values are the key messages. The desired outcome of the eTeens programme is that students are empowered to make wise, informed and sensible decisions.

At RAFFLES GIRLS' SCHOOL (SECONDARY) , the eTeens programme will be implemented as follows in 2023:

Topics/Lessons	Programme Learning Objectives	Time Period
Mass Talk by HPB-appointed Vendor	Awareness of the different STIs and HIV/AIDS Modes of transmission Modes of protection, specifically on how the condom is used Consequences and impact of STIs/HIV	Term 3 Week 5
Classroom-based Lesson	Learn to negotiate their way out of a risky situation by applying skills of assertiveness and responsible decision-making	Term 3 Week 6

Information for Parents

Parents may opt their children out of the Sexuality Education lessons or eTeens programmes by MOE-approved external providers.
Parents who wish to opt their children out of the Sexuality Education lessons need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be sent to parents via the Parents Gateway at the start of the year. The completed form is to be submitted by 31 March 2023 (all levels).
Y3 parents who wish to opt their children out of the eTeens programme need to complete an opt-out form. This form will be sent to parents via the Parents Gateway at the start of the year. Parents are to respond by 31 March 2023 (Year 3).
Parents can contact the school at rgss@moe.edu.sg or call 6737 1845 for discussion or to seek clarification about the school’s sexuality education programme.
Parents who wish to attend the school sexuality education programmes should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.

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