Evaluating Parents' Perspective on Sex Education in Elementary Schools

Sex education is important to educate young individuals that make them equipped with the right knowledge and attitude concerning healthy sex life. This research article aimed to analyze how parents perceive the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum of selected public elementary schools in Southern Leyte, Philippines. As for data collection, primary information from parents was considered that include demographic profiles such as age, civil status, educational attainment, religion, and socio-economic status because these factors were believed to affect parents' perceptions. In addition, parents' perceptions of sex education were gathered regarding intellectual, emotional, moral, psychological, and social aspects. The descriptive-correlational research design was employed to elucidate the significant relationship between parents' profile and their perception of the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum using some standard statistical measures and the Chi-square test. Results showed that parents had strongly unfavorable perceptions of sex education in terms of intellectual, emotional, moral, psychological, and social aspects. Using the Chi-square test, the profile of parents was directly related to their perception of sex education. In conclusion, parents' negative perceptions of sex education at the elementary level are believed to be detrimental to their children because they may lack knowledge of sex education, and in fact, discussing sex education is still considered taboo in the Philippine culture, particularly at the elementary level.


INTRODUCTION
The goal of sex education is to equip young individuals and students with suitable attitudes, knowledge, and skills that promote healthy living and well-being.In fact, the Department of Education (DepEd) in the country Philippines is working to develop and improve the well-being of every student by integrating sex education into the basic education curriculum (Abesamis & Siddayao, 2021;Fonner et al., 2014;Jorvina et al., 2023).In fact, the study of previous study portrayed that sex education has a very important role in sexual health as well as the well-being of young individuals and students (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021).In particular, elementary students are subject to this program, as they need to learn about sexuality, interpersonal relationships, hygiene, gender issues, and as well as status in life (Nguyen et al., 2022;Shin et al., 2019).It is worth noting that the most important aspect of teaching sex education to primary kids is promoting their sexual health and well-being.Nowadays, most children are discussing sexual topics like boy/girlfriend relationships at a younger age, and if not educated properly, they may engage in premarital sex and experience early adolescent pregnancies, which can be a concerning and problematic issue for parents (Kirby et al., 2006;Lyu et al., 2020;Munyai et al., 2022).According to previous study, early (teenage) pregnancy is one of the controversial issues in the community and it is difficult to reduce because most of them lack knowledge about sex (Nabugoomu et al., 2020).
In that case, it is necessary to introduce sex education to younger students to prevent sickness and pregnancy issues.According to previous studies adult actions can significantly influence their discussions on sexual knowledge and issues with students (Evans, 2013;Lindberg & Kantor, 2022).Most of the time, people encounter this question: are conservative mindsets and superstitious beliefs preventing us from having a healthy discourse about sex content?According to other study a significant portion of the population in the Philippines is still unaware of the many aspects of sex knowledge, and those who speak up about it are often chastised and regarded as immoral (Alsubaie, 2019).But why is this thing vital to our society?Early education on sex discourse can help promote children's sexual health and prevent issues like early adolescent pregnancies.While some parents may be hesitant about sex education in schools, previous study argues that they are in a perfect position to teach their children about sex -if only they had the information and willingness to address the topic (Varani-Norton, 2014).In the classroom, other study stress the necessity of sex education as a means for students to explain their sex values and make informed decisions (Fentahun et al., 2012).Moreover, the study by other study depicted that sex education is a program that promotes sexual health that avoids danger, sickness, and diseases, and practices safer sex (Singh et al., 2019).With such varied perspectives on sex education in the elementary curriculum, it is important to identify and appreciate the factors that influence several perceptions.Such perception can formulate thorough information that leads to better decisions and promotes key ideas on how to integrate sex education without any bias.
Issues of sex education in the elementary curriculum in the country Philippines are ambiguous, with contradictory opinions (Salvador et al., 2016;Tanaka et al., 2020).On the face of it, it is vital to deal with these varied perspectives to identify and appreciate the components impacting perceptions on the integration of sex education in the Elementary Curriculum.In view of parents' stated reactions, this study has sought.Currently, the study of sex education in the country Philippines concerning the parents' view at the elementary level is scarce.So, the main goal of this article is to fill in this research gap and provide necessary information that resolves the issue of sex education integration in elementary schools.The general objective of this article is to elucidate the parents' perception of sex education at the elementary level of education in line with the advisory of DepEd.The specific objectives are as follows: (i) to summarize the parent's socio-demographic profile, (ii) to determine the parents' perception of sex education in view of the Gestalt theory of perception, and (iii) to capture the significant relationship between the parent's socio-demographic profile and parents' perception to sex education.The purpose of this research study is to provide useful insights that may use by policymakers in elementary education in regard to sex education.Plus, the results of the study may suggest some information that might improve the well-being of parents, teachers, and students.Furthermore, the findings may contribute to the Philippine literature on the aspect of sex education, healthy, and as well as the well-being of students.

METHOD
This article study utilized a descriptive-correlation research design to describe the significant relationship between the parents' profile and their perceptions of the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum (Marquezin et al., 2016).In this study, primary and cross-sectional data were employed that concerns the current response and valid opinions from the respondents.This research was conducted among parents whose children enrolled in public elementary schools in Southern Leyte, Philippines namely: (1) Matalom Central Elementary School (MCES), and (2) J. P. Olo Elementary School (JPOES).Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents of the study which comprises a total of 280 parents.Table 1 shows the distribution of parents in the two selected elementary schools.The instrument used to gather data was a researcher-made questionnaire and was divided into two (2) parts.The first part was the socio-demographic profile of the parents, and the second part was the parents' perception containing intellectual, emotional, moral, psychological, and social aspects of perception which also contained ten (10) item statements per aspect of perception.Moreover, to ensure the validity of the items, the questionnaire was checked, examined, analyzed, and evaluated by three (3) experts before it was conducted on the respondents.Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram that involves the parents' profile and parents' perception of the integration of sex education in view of the Gestalt theory of perception (Fentahun et al., 2012;Hamlyn, 2017;Wagemans, 2015).

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram
All the data involved in this study were tabulated and analyzed using frequency counts and percentages for the parents' profiles and perceptions.Moreover, the Chi-square test for independence was employed in determining the relationship between variables since it is in the categorical form in view of the contingency table (Casinillo et al., 2023;Deming, 1934).The table presentation of the Chi-square test is similar to the current study.The rest of the calculation was done with the aid of a computer program namely the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software Version 12, and tested at most 5% level of significance, and interpreted accordingly.Base on Table 2 presented that the majority of the parents' age were in the old category (90%), and about 10% were young parents.The old category is parents aged 31 and above, and young parents are 30 and below.About 10.71% of them were single parents, 83.57% of them were married, and only 5.72% were already widowed.As for educational attainment, on average, only 12.5% of them are elementary level and 7.86% are elementary graduates, 15.71% of them are high school level and 20.36 are high school graduates, another 15.71% of them are college level and 27.86% of them have obtained a college degree.Almost all (95.71%) of these parents are Roman Catholic and all other religions have a small fraction of frequency among parents.Approximately, there are 10.36% of these parents have monthly income of 16,000 (PHP) and above, 2.85% of them has 13,000 -15,999 (PHP), 3.57% of them has 10,000 -12,999 (PHP), 9.29% of them has 7,000 -9,999 (PHP), 19.64% of them has 4,000 -6,999 (PHP), 28.93% of them has 1,000 -3,999 (PHP), and 25.36% of them has 999 (PHP) and below.

Parents' Perception of Integrating Sex Education in the Elementary Curriculum
Parents' intellectual, emotional, moral, psychological, and social perception on the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum is show in Table 3. Table 3 showed the parents' intellectual, emotional, moral, psychological, and social perceptions of the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum.It revealed that the majority of parents, 128 (45.71 percent), had a Strongly Unfavorable opinion of the integration of sex education into the basic curriculum.In terms of emotions, 128 (45.71 percent) of the respondents were Strongly Unfavorable about the integration of sex education in the basic curriculum.The majority of respondents, 109 (38.93 percent), were Strongly Unfavorable when it comes to the incorporation of sex education in the basic curriculum.In terms of psychological perception, as shown in the table, the majority of the respondents, 119 (42.5 percent), were Strongly Unfavorable about the integration of sex education in the basic curriculum.In terms of social perception of the inclusion of sex education in the primary school curriculum, the majority of parents, 119 (42.5 percent), were Strongly Unfavorable.

Chi-Square Test
Significant Relationship Between Parents' Profile and Their Perception of the Integration of Sex Education in the Elementary Curriculum is show in Table 4. Table 4 shows the result of the statistical computation to determine a significant relationship between parents' profile and their perception of the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum.As shown in the table below, whether there is a significant relationship between the parents' profile and their perception of the integration of sex education in the elementary curriculum, in the parents' intellectual perceptions, the age profile of parents obtained 0.01 p-value, civil status obtained 0.05 p-value, educational attainment obtained 0.00 p-value and socio-economic status obtained 0.01 p-value which is equal to and lesser than the 0.05 level of significance and this led to the rejection of null hypothesis while the religion profile of parents obtained 0.07 p-value which is more than 0.05 level of significance and this led to the acceptance of a null hypothesis.The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between the intellectual perceptions of parents and their profile in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, and socio-economic status.In terms of the emotional aspect of the perception of parents, the age profile obtained a 0.00 value, the civil status profile obtained a 0.04 value, and socioeconomic status obtained a 0.02 value which is lesser than 0.05 level of significance and led to the rejection of null hypothesis while educational attainment profile obtained 0.06 value and religion profile obtained 0.08 value which is more than 0.05 level of significance and this led to the acceptance of a null hypothesis.The table revealed that there is a significant relationship between emotional perception and the profile of parents in terms of age, civil status, and socio-economic status.
In terms of parents' moral perceptions, age profile obtained a 0.02 p-value, religion obtained a 0.04 p-value, and socioeconomic status obtained a 0.04 p-value, all of which are less than the 0.05 level of significance, leading to hypothesis rejection, whereas civil status obtained 0.09 p-value and educational attainment obtained 0.07 p-value, both of which are greater than the significant level of 0.05, leading to null hypothesis acceptance.In terms of the psychological aspect of parents' perceptions, age obtained a 0.00 pvalue, educational attainment obtained a 0.04 p-value, religion obtained a 0.01 p-value, and socioeconomic status obtained a 0.03 p-value which is lesser than the 0.05 level of significance and these led to the rejection of null hypothesis while civil status obtained 0.10 p-value which is more than the significant level of 0.05 and this led to the acceptance of a null hypothesis.This revealed that there is a significant relationship between the psychological perception of parents and their profile in terms of age, educational attainment, religion, and socio-economic status.In terms of social aspects, age obtained a 0.02 p-value, religion obtained a 0.02 p-value, and socioeconomic status obtained a 0.05 p-value which is lesser than and equal to a 0.05 level of significance and these led to the rejection of the hypothesis while civil status obtained a 0.09 p-value and educational attainment obtained a 0.06 p-value which is more than the 0.05 value and these led to the acceptance of a null hypothesis.These revealed that there is a significant relationship between the social aspect of perception and parents' profiles in terms of age, religion, and socio-economic status.

Discussion
According to previous study the definition of youth varies by institution, Republic Act 8044 defined youth in the Philippines as persons aged 15 to 30 (Harlan, 2016).This means that everyone over the age of 31 was considered old.Other study define Late Adulthood as a period of maturity, responsibility, and accountability in the performance of duties and responsibilities (Orchard et al., 2020).This suggests that the vast majority of parents' responses were mature and capable of answering questions concerning their children.This indicates that given the parents' age and assumed any ideas and impressions they expressed may be accepted as genuine and accurate.The majority of parent respondents were married or in a relationship, and their opinions and observations were generated independently or with the assistance of their spouse.Furthermore, the majority of the parent respondents' opinions and observations were developed by their judgment or may have been impacted by their spouse's temperament, and thus can be regarded as well-considered (Kollmayer et al., 2018;Sumardi & Muamaroh, 2020).According to previous study married people prioritize the family's welfare by being responsible and the family's principal earner in order to ensure that the family's standard of living increases and that they are able to meet the expectations of the family (Oppenheimer, 2011).
Parents were aware of and receptive to information about the advantages of including Sex Education in the elementary school curriculum (Adyani et al., 2023;Kuppens et al., 2018).According to previous study parents are their children's first teachers and role models, and they have a huge impact on their learning (Symeou et al., 2012).Nearly all of the parent respondents were Roman Catholics, with conservative views based on the Roman Catholic Church's doctrines and teachings.This means that Catholicism's beliefs and teachings impacted almost all of the parents' views and opinions.It is revealed that the parents had a below-average income because the majority of them do not practice their profession and others have worked but for poor pay, making it difficult for parents to satisfy their family's demands and putting them in a financial bind.The ability of youngsters to learn to be open-minded is influenced by their attendance at school.Parents' money was a critical factor in educating their children, according to other study, because low-income families couldn't afford to send their children to school (Nicholson et al., 2012;Tosun & Mihci, 2020).
The finding indicates that the majority of parents were morally prepared for sex education to be included in the elementary school curriculum because they believe that if their child becomes pregnant at a young age, their family's dignity and refutation may be jeopardized due to the unexpected wrongdoings that their child/children may commit.As a result, the majority of parents were not mentally prepared to incorporate sex education into the elementary school curriculum.Parents may believe that sex education should be given to pupils when they are in their adolescent years, rather than while they are in primary school, because the concept of sex education may be perplexing to them (Robinson et al., 2017;Tortolero et al., 2011).Because parents may be concerned that as they get to know their children, they will exhibit some negative sex-related behaviors that are unacceptable and inappropriate in their culture and practice, the vast majority of parents were socially prepared for the inclusion of sex education in the elementary curriculum.The current study contradicts with previous findings, which claimed that parents were supportive of school sex education (Fentahun et al., 2012).They also agreed that, depending on the mental maturity of the students, the substance of school sex education should comprise abstinence-only and abstinence-plus.That is, the subject of school sex education should be abstinence-only at a young age (primary school), then abstinence-plus at a later age (secondary school).
Some parents may have strong objections to their children being exposed to sex education in elementary school.Depending on the setting and the level of opposition, the effects of sex education integration on the government, education, teachers, and students can range from positive to negative (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021;Hall et al., 2016).Advocates of sex education argue that it is essential for promoting sexual health, reducing unwanted pregnancies, STIs, and sexual assault, and that the government may receive pressure from both sides of the argument (Adyani et al., 2023;Shin et al., 2019).Opponents, on the other hand, say that parents should be the ones to teach their children about sexuality.Political backlash and diminished support could emerge if the government forces sex education on children despite overwhelming parental resistance, but not mandating it could lead to criticism for failing to address an important public health issue.Parents who are for and against including sex education in the curriculum may cause friction and possibly lead some to pull their children out of public schools if schools can't find a middle ground.Teachers may not feel adequately prepared or supported, leading to an ineffective or inadequate sex education program, if there is considerable parent resistance.Educators who support sex education may be disheartened by parental opposition, while those who are against it may be glad if it is not required by law (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021;Harlan, 2016).The urge from their parents to talk about sexual health may still be present, though.
Students may suffer unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and even sexual violence if they are not taught about sexual health and relationships in primary school.On the other hand, if sex education is forced upon reluctant students, it may make them uneasy and, as a result, have a negative impact on their performance.If parents are adamantly opposed to including sex education in elementary school curricula, the school may encounter resistance, children may be at risk for not receiving necessary sexual health education, and parents may be forced to shoulder the responsibility of teaching their children about sex education, which may lead to insufficient or unfinished education.Ultimately, sex education's incorporation into the basic curriculum is a contentious issue that has far-reaching effects (Goldfarb & Lieberman, 2021;Shin et al., 2019).The benefits of education must be weighed against the perspectives of involved parties, yet opposition is to be expected.
Parents' opinions about sex education in schools differ depending on their educational level, sex, social background, and civil status, according to previous study (usually for single parents) (Tortolero et al., 2011).This implies that parents with better educational attainment, socioeconomic status, age, and civil status are more positive about incorporating sex education into the elementary curriculum, however, religion does not necessarily influence the parents' views on sex education.Previous study covered that parents' attitudes about sex education in schools differ based on their age, civil status, and socioeconomic situation (Jorvina et al., 2023).These data suggest that the age, civil status, and social level of parents influence their attitudes toward integrating sex education into the basic curriculum.The findings demonstrated that there is a strong link between moral perception and parental characteristics such as age, religion, and socioeconomic level.These findings imply that parents' moral attitudes toward integrating sex education into the elementary curriculum are influenced by their age, religion, and socioeconomic level (Millner et al., 2015;Oclarit Jr et al., 2023).These researchers affirmed the relationship between parents' moral perceptions and their views on sex education relative to the parent's age, religion, and socioeconomic status.
Pevious study found that a parent's psychological profile is associated with their maturity, income, and religion (Bonifacci et al., 2016).This means that age (maturity), educational attainment (more educated parents are more likely to be positive about sex education), religion (whether the parents are conservative or liberal), and socioeconomic circumstances all influence parents' psychological attitudes toward sex education integration in elementary school.These results supported by findings state that parents' age, religion, and socioeconomic status may influence their societal opinions of sex education (Meral & Cavkaytar, 2012).This suggested that the age, religion, and financial level of parents influenced their views on sex education integration in elementary school.It is concluded that when compared to other factors like civil status, educational attainment, and religion, age, and socioeconomic status are the only ones that have a significant relationship.People's opinions toward sex education change as they become older.They may have a positive or negative attitude toward sex education in the curriculum, depending on their point of view.Parents' attitudes about sex education are also influenced by their social status (Lyu et al., 2020;Shin et al., 2019).This means that a parent's stance toward sex education inclusion in the basic curriculum could alter depending on their social status or class.The integration of sex education into the elementary curriculum may elicit positive or negative reactions from the upper or lower levels.
Parents were strongly opposed to the influence of sex education integration on the intellectual element, according to the data.Some parents may be closed-minded about sex education because of our society.Because they believe that sex education is the application of sex behaviors, parents may consider that it should not be taught to children at a young age.The result suggests that the majority of parent respondents were highly opposed to integrating sex education into the elementary curriculum emotionally.Furthermore, less than half of the respondents opposed integrating sex education into the elementary school curriculum.Most parents were emotionally unprepared for the integration of sex education into the elementary curriculum because teaching sex education at a young age could lead to teenage early pregnancies, which could lead to parents' fears that their young students would be emotionally unprepared as they became young parents at a young age.

CONCLUSION
Parents were strongly opposed to the incorporation of sex education in the elementary curriculum, according to the study's findings.This indicates that the majority of parents hold negative views on the integration of sex education into the elementary curriculum.Parents may have a negative attitude about the integration of sex education into the elementary curriculum because they may not completely comprehend what sex education entails.The word sex education may be misunderstood and viewed negatively by the majority of parents.They could think that incorporating sex education within the core curriculum implies exposing primary pupils to sex practices and activities.This could also explain why students fall pregnant at an early age since their parents find it unacceptable to talk about sex education, which has left them misinformed.

Table 2 .
Demographic Profile of the Parents

Table 3 .
Parents' Intellectual, Emotional, Moral, Psychological and Social Perception on the Integration of Sex Education in the Elementary Curriculum

Table 4 .
Significant Relationship Between Parents' Profile and Their Perception of the Integration of Sex Education in the Elementary Curriculum