Polytechnics turn up heat on lessons in love and sexuality
By Neo Chai Chin, TODAY | Posted: 20 March 2008 0735 hrs
SINGAPORE: Can you teach someone how to get over a broken heart?
The Social Development Unit (SDU) thinks so, and to start them young on marriage, it has teamed up with two polytechnics to offer students pro-family modules as part of the school curriculum.
Since the previous academic year, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) have offered courses taught by trainers from SDU.
NP's module, titled "Understanding Relationships: Love and Sexuality", got second-year student Isabel Seet curious enough to sign up for it last October. Besides getting two academic credits, the 18-year-old learnt about cross-cultural relationships, online chatting and, of course, getting over a broken heart.
"It's very interesting, and if I have a boyfriend in future, I'll know how to cope with any problems we may have," said the mechanical engineering student.
SDU's message to youths is this: Don't let love play second fiddle to setting up a career. "Because if you wait until then, sometimes it'll be a little too late," Minister of State (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon said on Wednesday at the launch of the "We Are Married!" campaign at Raffles Place.
SDU hopes to have such courses at all polytechnics and universities eventually. So far, response from students has been positive, if Ngee Ann's and Singapore Polytechnic's plans to expand the number of classes are anything to go by. NP is increasing its classes from eight to 20 in the upcoming academic year, while SP will have 10 classes, up from six, for "Love Relations for Life".
Meanwhile, SDU has been spreading the message of love to university students through its Project Network initiative, which has given out about $275,000 since 2003 for the universities' social activities.
Eligible social events must have a gender ratio of at least 60:40, and must incorporate "deliberate social interaction", a ministry spokesperson said.
Workshops, such as one by the National University of Singapore's students' union on "He Says, She Says" (relationship problems), are also held. Calling its youth outreach efforts "going upstream", Mrs Yu-Foo said young people could balance love and work: "It's no harm to do (both) simultaneously."
- TODAY/so
So cool lei!! Why my time at NP, don't have de!! Not fair loh!!
Polytechnics turn up heat on lessons in love and sexuality 
Re: Polytechnics turn up heat on lessons in love and sexuality 
Re: Polytechnics turn up heat on lessons in love and sexuality 