GEORGE TOWN: The Education Ministry will introduce the Reproductive and Social Health Education (Peers) module in the 2027 school curriculum to address the increasing cases of out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies in the country.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said this initiative had received approval from the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development (KPWKM).
She said her ministry welcomed cross-ministerial collaboration to address this issue.
"We share the same concerns as KPWKM when it comes to out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
"We are fully focused on educational agendas, especially those closely related to reproductive health. From time to time, we also run advocacy programmes related to reproductive health issues, including joint programmes with KPWKM to address sexual harassment, girls' health, safe touch, and bad touch, which are still being implemented at the ministry level," she told reporters after officiating the closing of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Week 2024 at USM here today.
She was asked to comment on KPWKM Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri's statement earlier today that there were 17,646 out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies in the past five years.
This figure was part of the total 44,263 teen pregnancies recorded during the same period.
Fadhlina said her ministry would focus specifically on the Peers module to empower teachers and students with information and advocacy on the matter.
Peers is taught through the Health Education curriculum from preschool to secondary school, equipping students with information and skills, particularly psychosocial competencies, to make informed decisions in their daily lives.
On a separate matter, Fadhlina said that counselling teachers would be involved in guiding students towards choosing Stem as a preferred pathway. She said that counselling teachers played a crucial role in providing accurate information to students, especially when they sought advice on Stem prospects.
"As such, these counselling teachers must be given accurate information about Stem through seminars and engagement sessions with stakeholders. They should also be supported by the industry. For this, we will carry out several intervention programmes to support this initiative," she added.