著者
後藤 誠也 高森 裕子
出版者
奈良教育大学
雑誌
奈良教育大学紀要. 人文・社会科学 (ISSN:05472393)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.43, no.1, pp.119-134, 1994-11-25

The discussion of sexuality education has been the most controversial issue since 1990. The revision of the Course of Study has led to teach sexuality in the subjects of natural science and health education. There are many problems to solve what should be the content of sexuality education, how to teach and what extent we are supposed to teach to. Teaching sexual intercourse, as a matter of course, is the most embarrassing question for every teachers in primary schools. Now in Japan, sex-educationists' views of teaching of sexual intercourse are divided into two groups. Both groups agree that sexuality education is not only illustrating genitals and teaching their function, but respectively showing their own ideas about content and the way how to teach that. One group insists that they need not teach genitals because the mere teaching of genitals could not be sexuality education, while the others assert that without to teach genitals they could not give the true recognition of sexuality. According to those separate standpoints, the former asserts that we should not include the sexual intercourse in sexuality education, but the latter asserts that we must include the sexual intercourse as the essential item of sexuality education. Here we take the stand of the latter opinion. In the case of primary school children, we might sometimes feel embarrassed in teaching the sexual intercourse, but considering the circumstance around children, the harmful effects were instilled by mass media, of which we are afraid they can often be inadequate or unnecessary sorts of imformation. So we should throw a new light on the sex or sexuality and lead children to the right direction. We inquired into the prevailing state in primary schools in Nara Prefecture about the sexuality education (their teaching plans, method and content etc.). We knew the following facts. In 90% or more of schools inquired sexuality education is under way, and they refer to the teaching of sexual intercourse, 36% of the whole schools actually introduced it into their class, and 37% think about translating their plans into practice at an early stage. The teachers of such schools have tried to answer to childrens' questions correctly. However there are many ptoblems awaiting solution with our efforts. We have to press for the sexuality education including the item of sexual intercourse as the key matters. For that purpose we must research many problems; such as teachers' concern about sexuality, the decision upon more specified content of sexuality education, increasing the opportunity of teachers in-service training, the development of teaching materials or tools, the negotiation with parents about sexuality education, and all that.