Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Preschool in China

Early childhood is one of the key periods of comprehensive
sexuality education. Children’s sexual development
begins at birth. When children begin to be curious about
“sexual” questions and children have the right to receive
comprehensive sexuality education. Comprehensive sexuality
education can help children develop the concept of
gender equality as well as prevent sexual abuse. Therefore,
the earlier the comprehensive sexuality education starts,
the better to their overall well-beings. However, the
implementation of comprehensive sexuality education in
faces many challenges in what and how to teach.
Based on the characteristics of child development
and the existing empirical research in comprehensive
sexuality education, as well as the Standards for sexuality
education in Europe (2010), we designed the
Preschool Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Curriculum (PCSEC), which includes complete teaching
objectives, teaching activities, picture books and nursery
rhymes. It is the first comprehensive sexuality
education program in China and has huge influence
on Chinese young children, parents and preschool programs.
A pilot study of PCSEC has been conducted
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEXUAL HEALTH A125
three years in two preschools in Beijing. From what we
observed, PCSEC is feasible in practice; teachers are
capable of implementing PCSEC with fidelity after
training; and there is a corollary increase in children’s
knowledge, attitudes, and skills in comprehensive
sexuality.
We have designed nine modules of comprehensive
sexuality education curriculum, which are: (1) our
body; (2) family and friends; (3) rainbow mood; (4)
marvelous feeling; (5) new birth; (6) my health and my
happiness; (7) our rights; (8) good secret and bad
secret; (9) colorful happiness. Through teachers and
parents’ interviews, children assessments, we find that
the comprehensive sexuality education curriculum in
preschool is practicable; teachers can be competent for
comprehensive sexuality education curriculum after
training; and children’s sexual knowledge, attitudes and
skills have been promoted after comprehensive sexuality
education.
Keywords: Comprehensive sexuality education,
Preschool, China
Source of Funding: Beijing Normal University.
Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Statement: None