Hong Kong needs more progressive approach to sex education in schools, students say

The learning materials came under fire for advising students to curb sexual urges by playing badminton instead, resisting premarital sex and “avoiding visual stimulation from sexy clothing”. One activity asked students to sign a “commitment form” setting limits on intimacy and pledging to control their sexual impulses.

The support resources are part of a module about adolescents and intimate relationships under the Citizenship, Economics and Society subject, aimed at junior secondary school students aged 12 to 14.

But students and educators alike expressed concerns that the new materials were “impractical” and “out of touch”, saying that open discussions and interactive activities would make the subject more well-received.

“While the intention and aims of the materials are positive, testing students through worksheets and signing commitment letters may not be the most effective,” Clarisse Poon, a Form Four student from St Paul’s Co-educational College, said.

“Students may be reluctant to sign or follow what’s written, [and] certain words like ‘control’ or ‘resist’ may trigger negative emotions, as they assert a coercive tone.”

The 15-year-old suggested educating students about the different stages of a love relationship through mini-games and educational movies.

She recounted a class activity where students were divided into two groups. One group drew slips of paper representing locations, actions, or objects to create scenarios and predict responses. The other developed responses to match these scenarios, fostering an environment of interactive decision-making between the groups.

“Sex education must not only include stringent guidelines but also provide a space for students to fully understand themselves, learn about why sexual intentions may happen and what self-protection actually means,” Clarisse said.

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Clarisse’s school is one of Hong Kong’s 58 direct subsidy scheme (DSS) secondary schools, which often have greater flexibility in resources deployment, curriculum design and student admission.

“I am satisfied with my school’s current sex education [curriculum], as it is able to deliver messages in a subtle way while providing us with sufficient and appropriate information,” Clarisse said, adding that her school also offers individual counselling sessions for those in need.

Sophia Ling, a Year 9 student at German Swiss International School, said sex education began in Year 5 in her school.

Lessons were held twice a week for three months each year, covering basics such as menstruation and how bodies change during adolescence.

“What I found really helpful from those lessons was learning how to adjust to these changes in puberty, which I sometimes found hard,” she said.

The 12-year-old said her school also set up a Google form where students could ask questions anonymously.

“My parents haven’t really spoken to me about the topic otherwise, and I wasn’t comfortable asking them such questions. Sex education at school provided me with a safe space to navigate these topics.”

The bureau has defended the materials, saying they were designed to help students make “responsible decisions” and stop them from having sex while underage.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, said the resources weren’t considered official policy and were aimed at instilling good values.

Form Five student Amina Seyd from HHCKLA Buddhist Leung Chik Wai College said the materials were “unrealistic and ineffective, failing to address the complexities of sex and sexuality that Hong Kong youth face.”

“[They] seem to place undue blame on students, reinforcing a harmful victim-blaming mentality surrounding premarital sex and sexual activity,” said the 16-year-old, noting that her school only held one lecture about sex education last year.

Amina believed that education authorities should take a more “progressive and holistic” approach, provide training and support for teachers to impart the subject confidently, and involve parents and the community to create a more supportive environment for open discussion.

“Effective sex education should be inclusive, covering topics like consent, healthy relationships, and LGBTQ identities, areas that seem to be inadequately addressed in the new curriculum,” she said.

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Liu Tin-yan, who teaches Citizenship, Economics and Society at an aided secondary school, said the materials would not be very effective because of their “conservative and old-fashioned” content and strong focus on discipline.

Other educators have also criticised the out-of-date tone of the resources, with Professor Diana Kwok Kan, a sex therapist and a scholar specialising in gender studies at the Education University of Hong Kong, telling the SCMP that some publications cited in the materials were published more than 30 years ago.

Liu agreed with the students’ observations that the resources left out discussions on LGBTQ topics and that the subject could be approached differently: “Signing commitment letters and doing sports are more traditional teaching methods, lacking potential interactions with students on these topics that would allow them to make choices in real situations,” she said.

Liu feels that the guidelines don’t take into account that many students are digital natives: “There’s also neglect of the current era of information literacy,” she said.

Signing commitment letters would not be feasible for many pupils since “students value their privacy and have their own entertainment options, all of which I feel are not considered in the materials,” she said, explaining that schools should not be intruding on what students do when sexual urges occur.