(Photo: china.org.cn)

Sex education used to be taboo in China, but decades of economic growth and modernization have changed the country’s conservative social views and now experts are urging for an overhaul on the subject, according to Huanqiu.com.

Hu Xiaowei, an expert on sex education for children, said parents need to take progressive steps to educate their children about sex – even if the subject is difficult to speak about. 

“Kids are not just pure as a piece of white paper,” said Hu Xiaowei, who is an expert in sex education for children. “Everyone is born with the curiosity toward sex and the desire to explore human instincts. Kids are no exception.”

Li Jiawen, who is mother to a 6-year-old kid, said she feels embarrassed whenever her child sees someone kissing on TV. Li is unsure if she should cover her child’s eyes during these types of situations – which is what her parents did to her when she was young.

Li said her child has also started asking questions about the difference between female and male anatomy and that she does not know how to answer.

“I told him that he’ll know when he grows up,” Li said.

According to Li, she is not the only parent who is helpless when it comes to the topic of sex education. Many parents share their children’s sex questions on WeChat and ask for advice on answering questions. 

Experts say that parents need to stop avoiding conversations about sex and they must also educate themselves.

Educators and school districts are also calling for an overhaul on sexual education.

Dong Wenyao has been teaching for more than 19 years and works at an elementary school in Chengdu. Dong said that most elementary schools in her city offer a maximum of three class meetings about sex education. She also said that the courses are sometimes limited to talking about preventing sexual activity.

Dong stressed the importance of establishing strict guidelines on sex education in elementary school, especially since most children are exposed to massive unfiltered information through the Internet. She also said that school districts should provide training to teachers.

In fact, sexual and reproductive education was listed as a required subject in the compulsory education system, according to a guideline for child development issued by the State Council in 2011. However, it was not enforced strictly thanks to pressures from traditional values.

A progressive sex education curriculum was introduced to schools across the sprawling country in 2010, according to chinanew.com. The curriculum included a series of 12 books published by Beijing Normal University, covering the basics of sex, hygiene, social integration, emotional development, and even self-esteem. 

The curriculum even introduced the concepts of gender equality and different forms of marriage.

Unfortunately, the curriculum was discontinued because many believed the course materials were too intimate and explicit.

“Many people feel ashamed to talk about sex is because they do not understand the true meaning of sex education,” Hu said. “Sex education is also about helping young kids learn about and appreciate their bodies.”

Hu said better sex education will also assist children in learning to socialize with others, especially members of the opposite sex.