One thing we don’t quite understand is why opinion is divided on whether our high school students should be taught what chastity is and how it should be practiced.We believe the current dispute over the legislation of chastity teaching in high school is simply much ado about nothing.
A former schoolteacher wrote a six-page bill in September 2005 to advise schools on what to tell teens about venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies.It was supported by practically all members of the Legislative Yuan but later amended under pressure from a large number of headmasters who wanted chastity to be taught in school at least four hours a year.Human rights and feminist advocates were up in arms against it then.They condemn the chastity teaching for male chauvinism or sexism.The lawmakers cannot add up the pros and cons, and the bill is unlikely to be passed anytime soon.
There can be no doubt that everybody agrees chastity – not having sex except with the person to whom one is married – is a virtue.Is there anyone who is against the teaching of a virtue?Honesty is a virtue.So are filial piety, loyalty, courage, patriotism, and many others.Do clear-thinking people oppose the teaching of all these values?
Some opponents of the teaching of chastity in school say it is useless because few people practice it anyway.True it is, but practically no one in the world can claim he hasn’t lied in his lifetime albeit all the people have been taught to be honest and refrain from telling a lie.Teaching of a value is not always the same as practicing it.
Others believe legislation of chastity teaching may be a human rights violation.They want it to be taught at home, not in school.They forget the teaching of patriotism in school has just been legislated in our neighbor Japan.Nobody in Japan opposes it as a violation of human rights, though some don’t like it because it smacks of a return to the prewar indoctrination in emperor worship.Parents, on the other hand, don’t have the time to teach their teenage children about chastity, which many of them don’t practice themselves.
It is better for schools to teach chastity.Opinion may be – or should be – divided on how it is taught in school.If the bill smacks of sexism, change the wording to ensure gender equality.It isn’t hard for our wise legislators to do so.
（本文刊載於96.01.15 China Post第4版，本文代表作者個人意見）
