Does anyone know how ostriches have sex? They bury their heads in the sand, wave their butts in the air, and hope nobody notices. That, it seems, is the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) official line in regards to informing and educating our teenagers about sex. The MOE said teens should only engage in sex as part of a happy family unit, much to the chagrin of Nominated MP Eunice Olsen, who recently urged MOE to avoid a “moralistic-laden” approach to sex education.Let’s see. The average teenager will not get married until his mid or late 20s, if that early. Many will persist in putting career first, and postpone marital bliss till well into their 30s. That means we are expecting Singaporeans to endure some 10 to 20 years of virile celibacy and sexual frustration.But that’s not the point.The point is that teenagers are engaging in sex—and we don’t think they’re about to stop doing so anytime soon. Particularly when sexual stimuli are all around, partners are willing, and venues not a problem at all. So what are we to do about it? Tell them to stop, or tell them how to do it safely and responsibly?We’d love it if every driver could drive safely. But how about we ask everyone not to drive at all? That would certainly cut down on accidents.We’d love it if every commuter could show some basic courtesy to other commuters. But how about we ask everyone not to use public transport at all? That would certainly cut down on morning and evening angst.Hey, for that matter, we’d love it if every parent knew how to bring up children properly, so that they do not take drugs, join gangs, or engage in teenage sex. Why don’t we simply ask everyone not to bear children at all? That would certainly cut down on all these problems.Perhaps we should rename the MOE the Ministry of Blissful Ignorance.
