Comparative study on family life education, sex education and human sexuality.

Under UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) EPD auspices, a comparative study on family life education, sex education and human sexuality is being undertaken by EPD in collaboration with UNESCO Regional Offices covering four regions of the world--Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, and Arab States. Over the past 20 years, some 90 countries in the world have implemented population education programs. These programs follow different conceptual frames of reference based on predominant national problems and thrusts. Many of these have included family life education, sexuality and human reproductive issues. In the light of emerging issues and problems, it has been urged that key concepts and contents on family life education should be revised and updated accordingly, taking into account the specificity of sociocultural contexts. Before undertaking the revision and updating of contents, an analysis of the contents of existing national and regional training and teaching/learning materials in the four regions is currently being undertaken. The results of these analyses will serve as basis for the reconceptualization of population education/family life education within the new EPD philosophy, taking into account the emerging needs in the areas of information, training, and educational materials development. The studies which are currently under preparation look into the following: (i) the justifications for implementing family life education programs; (ii) content analysis of family life education and sex education programs in terms of rationale, objectives, concepts, themes and contents, teaching strategies and methodologies, etc.; (iii) changing scenes in the 90s; (iv) emerging key issues and concepts; (v) objectives, concepts and contents to be reinforced or revised for training and teaching purposes; (vi) recommendations for a reconceptualization/reorientation; and (vii) lessons learned and future needs and requirements.