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Filipino Teacher Shows Students Pornographic Documentary to Teach Them About Sex

The film features porn actors and shows them actually having sex.
porn classroom
(L) Photo by Feliphe Schiarolli on Unsplash. (R) Photo by Maru Lombardo on Unsplash

Proper sex education is practically non-existent in many parts of the Philippines, so imagine the shock a town in Iloilo province experienced when they found out that a teacher made Grade 10 students watch a pornographic documentary in class to teach them about sex.

The unidentified male science teacher from Pili National High School, in the town of Ajuy, is now in trouble for showing the film Girl’s Guide to 21st Century Sex in class. While the film aired on British television in 2006, it was called out for pornographic scenes that include “explicit sexual scenes that breached obscenity.” It includes at least one scene that shows porn actors having sex.

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This caused quite a stir in the small town. So much so that it even reached Mayor Jett Rojas, who has reached out to the school principal and the Department of Education (DepEd) to investigate the matter. According to Rojas, teachers should follow the guidelines given by the DepEd on how to teach sex-related topics in school.

Under the department’s rules, all implementation of sex education must involve parents-teachers-community associations, school officials, civil society organizations, and other interest groups that ensure the cultural acceptability, efficiency, and appropriateness of key concepts and messages.

The teacher immediately tendered his resignation “to have peace of mind” following the controversy, and has stopped teaching, Lilibeth Estoque, assistant superintendent of the DepEd in Iloilo, said yesterday. She added that they plan to hold psychosocial talks for students who watched the video.

The DepEd also said that it was "serious" in implementing policies to ensure that "every learner is protected from child abuse and his right and dignity are upheld,” adding that classrooms "should not only be a conducive place but also a healthy and wholesome environment for learning.”

While flashing porn in the classroom may be shocking for conservative Philippine society, the polar opposite — removing sexual pleasure from sex ed — is not good either. Many argue that talking about pleasure can help make students feel comfortable with their bodies.

This is vital in the Philippines, where most parents are too awkward to ever have “the talk” with their kids. This has led to many underage pregnancies, which is now considered a national emergency.

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