HK govt defends sex education curriculum to prevent premarital sex

Hong Kong's leader John Lee has defended the government’s sex education curriculum for secondary schools, which asked students to avoid premarital sex and curb sexual urges by playing badminton.

Speaking after the 2024 Policy Address district forum yesterday (25 August), Lee said while people may hold vastly different views on education, especially regarding values and concepts, the government has a guiding role in shaping the kind of society it aims to build.

“Therefore, the Education Bureau does have its own views on these matters. The general public can provide additional perspectives, which the Education Bureau will certainly take into consideration,” Lee said. 

“In the long run, the educational philosophy must be geared towards training the next generation towards the kind of society, living environment, and overall social culture that we hope to establish, to cultivate a long-term consensus on knowledge and behaviour, as social culture is something that needs to be collectively nurtured over time through sustained efforts,” Lee added.

This follows the controversy surrounding the secondary school curriculum on Citizenship, Economics and Society (公民、經濟與社會科), announced by the Education Bureau. It has drawn criticism for including content that encourages students to firmly abstain from premarital sexual activity.

The teaching materials include an activity where couples are encouraged to fill out a "commitment letter" to set intimacy boundaries, including how they will manage sexual fantasies or impulses.

The teaching materials also suggest an "avoid and divert" approach to dealing with sexual desire, such as the example of a couple going to play badminton together in the sports hall when the male experiences a physiological reaction while alone at home with his girlfriend.

“It is not necessary for lovers to have sex in order to show they love each other. Sex must be based on love with a solid foundation and commitment. [...] Lovers who are unable to cope with the consequences of premarital sex, such as unwed marital pregnancy, legal consequences, and emotional distress, should firmly refuse to have sex before marriage,” the teaching materials read. 

This has drawn mixed reactions from various lawmakers. Lawmaker Doreen Kong (江玉歡) said on Facebook that the approach proposed methods are out of touch with modern society. While imparting good values is important, they should not be forcefully imposed on students.“The suggestion to go play badminton is even more impractical - how would they manage to book a court and borrow rackets on short notice?” her post reads.

Another lawmaker Gary Cheung (張欣宇) also said on Facebook that the teaching materials broadly advocated "firmly rejecting premarital sexual activity", which goes far beyond just addressing underage individuals. Recent public discussions on this issue have easily led to associations with moral judgments, he added. 

Meanwhile, Media intelligence firm CARMA also saw over 185 mentions related to the government’s teaching materials regarding adolescents and intimate relationships. Of these mentions, 20% expressed negative sentiment, while 2.7% were positive.

In response, the Education Bureau said on its official website that the view that "Hong Kong's sex education has failed to keep up with modern social developments" is not accurate. “The educational philosophy is aimed at cultivating students to become individuals with well-rounded values. Encouraging students who lack the capacity to handle the consequences to make so-called informed decisions would be unprofessional and irresponsible.”

It added that the teaching materials aim to remind students of the need to uphold proper standards, understand the importance of setting intimate boundaries and how to handle them, as well as allowing students to recognise the values associated with sexuality.

“The Education Bureau's responsibility through the curriculum is to help students understand the necessity and importance of upholding the law. The message of "firmly rejecting premarital sexual activity" can increase students' self-protection awareness and serve a preventative function, to avoid irreversible mistakes that could not only impact the individuals themselves, but also harm others, leading to lifelong regrets,” the article reads.

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