Abstract:

Adequate knowledge of adolescents about sexual issue will determine their behavior concerning relationships, inadequate knowledge and misconception of sexuality has been responsible for their risky sexual behaviors. To this end, the researchers investigate on the perception of Senior Secondary School Students on teaching of sex education in some selected senior Secondary Schools in Lagos State. To achieve this purpose ex-post facto research design was used. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire using likert rating scale. The questionnaire contained (6) sections. Section A contained six (6) statements on personal data of the Respondents. Section B contains item related to the teaching of sex education in secondary schools. Section C contains 6 items on students religious and cultural belief in the teaching of sex education, Section D contains 6 statements on perception of students about the contribution of sex education in the enhancement of reproductive health knowledge and Section E contains the 6 items on inclusion of sex education to the secondary school curriculum. The questionnaire thus developed was administered to a total of 200 students from two Local Government Areas which was randomly selected. T- test was used to determine the extent of teaching Sex Education in Secondary Schools in Lagos State. Each hypothesis was tested at an Alpha level of 0.05. The result of the study revealed that sex education is not taught as a subject of its own in Lagos State Secondary Schools. The study also showed that the male and female students want sex education to be included into the secondary schools curriculum.Based on the findings in this study, the researchers recommended that sex education should be made compulsory from junior secondary school up to tertiary level of Nigerian educational system.