Sex education is an important topic for young children’s development, values and protection. There is a significant need for sex education in the pre-school curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a country whose culture is strongly based on conservative traditions and the Islamic religion. This research therefore investigates the importance of sex education for young children, appropriate sex education topics for children, and the approaches by which it could be implemented in the pre-school curriculum in the Saudi educational system. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the data from pre-school teachers via a questionnaire, and from supervisors and specialists through semi-structured interviews. The participants included 2,681 pre- school teachers surveyed in educational centres across 45 educational districts in the KSA, followed by interviews with pre-school supervisors and eight specialists from various sectors. The findings from both the interviews and surveys indicate that the majority of participants had strongly positive attitudes towards the importance of sex education for young children in the Saudi society. Influencing factors included the conservative culture, lack of knowledge and sex education resources, and the impacts of globalisation and the media.
The findings of this study suggest six key appropriate sex education topics that could be implemented in the pre-school curriculum. These are: body and gender, relationships, life cycles, health and hygiene, feelings and attitudes, and keeping safe. It further explains how the suggested topics could be implemented in the pre-school curriculum. This study is unique in this field because it presents findings that discuss the implementation of sex education for young children, which is a sensitive topic in most countries worldwide. Although this is a critical issue for people living in the conservative Saudi culture, traditional interpretations of Islam may prevent the development of sex education. Through careful consideration of the data, recommendations are made for policy makers, teachers, and parents, as well as suggestions for potential future research. This study will assist parents and educators to determine appropriate ways to approach sex education and child protection. The study is of significant interest to those involved in childcare and provides some ideas to inform policy, practice, and future research.
