Yuk Ching Lai
Hong Kong Institute of Education

In Hong Kong, once a British colony, sex has traditionally been viewed as taboo and, as such, seldom talked about or openly discussed in public. As a result, there is reluctance on the part of most pre-to-secondary schools to implement sex education. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of preschool sex education in Hong Kong. One kindergarten and one childcare centre were selected for this study. Eight preschool teachers were interviewed. The findings indicated that almost all participants lacked the confidence to undertake preschool sex education because they felt that they had inadequate knowledge and skills. Interestingly, the findings showed that the unmarried participants felt embarrassed when talking about sex. Nevertheless, they were willing to take up the responsibilities of the implementation of preschool sex education if they had sufficient training.

AJEC Volume 31 No 3 September 2006, pp. 1-5.

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