An elective sex education curriculum for 5th–9th grades of general secondary education institutions titled "Path to Human Maturity," which has received approval from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, along with a textbook for the 5th grade, was presented in Kyiv.
"The goal of the program is the harmonious psycho-emotional and spiritual development of a teenager capable of assertive behavior and building responsible relationships in society; fostering a responsible attitude among students toward every person's life, and toward physical—including sexual—mental, social, and spiritual health; mastering the basics of a healthy lifestyle and skills for health-safe sexual behavior; forming a foundation for future married life and nurturing family values; as well as fostering a responsible attitude toward fatherhood and motherhood," said practical psychologist, educator, sexologist, and sex education trainer Maria Yershova at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday.
She added that the authors realize children themselves have access to various information on these topics, noting that today the age of first exposure to pornography is decreasing, while such content is becoming more violent and thematic.
"I have also encountered cases where teenagers join various communities for gaming bonuses, and often these are communities containing adult content. Of course, we understand that some children visit these sites out of simple curiosity. Therefore, when we satisfy this curiosity by providing proper information, we can partially reduce the demand to seek this information elsewhere. It is important to us that children learn to analyze what they see and hear, critically evaluate this information, make informed decisions, know how to say 'no,' recognize sexual abuse and violence, protect themselves, and seek protection from adults," Yershova noted.
Additionally, according to her, addressing anxiety regarding changes during adolescence is a key element.
"Children are currently very anxious—including boys, not just girls—about the changes happening to them during puberty. The program offers clear, scientifically grounded, and morally balanced answers to pressing teenage questions, relieving emotional tension. We also understand that distorted body image perception can lead to eating disorders, dysmorphophobia, and other disorders. Therefore, we paid sufficient attention to forming a holistic image of a person," the sexologist explained.
Furthermore, she noted, the authors sought to help shape teenagers' responsible attitudes toward parenthood, where each parent gives attention to children and receives support from the other.
Specifically, the curriculum consists of the following sections: understanding one's own life as a supreme value and a miracle; formation of gender, family, and national self-identity; the family as a primary community of love and selfless giving; and the art of communication and building interpersonal relationships.
In turn, Candidate of Psychological Sciences and psychotherapist Liudmyla Hrydkovets emphasized the need to help children form a basic core of self-awareness.
"It is too optimistic to talk about making it mandatory for now. The fact that it is elective is already a big plus, and its necessity needs to be communicated primarily to parents. Not only to teachers, but to parents, because parents, one way or another, can shape the architecture of the educational process and its elective component," she added.
Among other things, Hrydkovets noted that the material is written in a way that allows it to be used in remote learning formats, although it was not specifically adapted for them.
The authors of the curriculum are Olesya Horhota, Liudmyla Hrydkovets, Hanna Samoliuk, and Maria Yershova.
