Kaori Ishikawa, the Head of Office of UNFPA Mongolia, met with L. Tsedevsuren, the Minister of Education and Science on Monday, October 19. In addition to congratulating on the new appointment as the Minister of Education and Science, Ms. Kaori Ishikawa discussed with the Minister about the health education system as well as the institutionalization of health education, specifically the comprehensive sexuality education in Mongolia. UNFPA has played a key role in promoting health education in the Mongolian education system since 1997. Partnering with the Ministry of Education and Science, UNFPA succeeded in introducing health education into the curriculum of general education schools, training national experts, institutionalizing pre-service training for teachers, and developing national health education standards, guidelines and manuals.
Kaori Ishikawa congratulated the Government for its commitment to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to all, including adolescents, youth, young people with disabilities, people living in remote areas and herder girls and women, and ensure that the comprehensive sexuality education is taught by trained teachers in secondary schools; the commitment that has been presented at ICPD at 25 Global Summit at Nairobi in November 2019. Mongolia has been one of the champions in the region to advance progressive agenda and has been cited as an example at the Summit.
Minister Tsedevsuren highlighted UNFPA’s support of technical expertise and partnership with the Government in reintroducing health education in Mongolian education curricula as well as the positive impact of sexuality education in Mongolia. As the Minister proposed some suggestions for further collaboration, in particular, to implement joint scientific projects among young scientists enabling them to share experiences in innovations and technologies. The sides agreed to further strengthen and elevate bilateral cooperation in the science and education sectors.
UNFPA is one of the strongest advocates for comprehensive sexual education for youth and adolescents in the world and Mongolia. Comprehensive sexuality education is a rights-based and gender-focused approach to sexuality education that enables young people to protect their health, well-being and dignity. In Mongolia, UNFPA succeeded in institutionalizing comprehensive sexuality education. In 2018, Mongolia became the first country to include the main curriculum of the International technical guidance on sexuality education in the general education curriculum.
Sourse: MONTSAME
