The number of Thai pregnant schoolgirls and university students sharply rose to about 10,000 last year. In the past, the number had never risen beyond 5,000 in a year.

“We have to prevent such cases otherwise more social problems will arise,” Social Development and Human Security Minister Issara Somchai said yesterday. He was speaking at a conference on the enforcement of the Dormitory Act.

Issara said the new law might be drafted to prescribe harsher punishments against offending dormitory operators. “Student dormitories must not allow boys and girls to share a room. Also, they must not sell alcoholic drinks,” he said.

Yes that’s right. We don’t need to be talking about safer sex because as long as we keep them separate and don’t serve them drinks – they will grow up wholesome, mature, sexually healthy, perfect beings. Keep boys and girls separate. Better yet, keep them under lock and key. I know that’s what I would probably want to be doing if I had a daughter – but I know it is not realistic.

If this simplistic message is reflective of the way most politicians think, it is no wonder there is little or no talk of sexuality education in schools. Just when will governments sit up and start having real conversations about sexuality education?