This school in the Philippines wants to fight teen pregnancy by banning teens from dating

Impact

Today in "desperate attempts to prevent unwanted teen pregnancies," one school in the Philippines is making headlines for instituting a ban on opposite-sex dating altogether. Yeah, I guess that's one way to go about it! 

ABS-CBN News in the Philippines reported Golden Heritage Polytechnic College in Cagayan de Oro City formally announced its dating ban via a strongly worded sign on its premises.

"Love affair will surely destroy the life of a young lady student," the banner reads. "Therefore, this institution prohibit intimate relationship between a male and female students."

ABS-CBN News/YouTube

Sex education is a totally different situation in the Philippines than it is in the United States, largely because of the Roman Catholic Church's wide influence in the country. When the Philippines rolled out a standard sex ed curriculum in schools back in 2010, there was a focus on "the religious perspective on premarital sex," and it was decided that "instruction about contraceptives will not be provided, nor will condoms be distributed in schools."

Hm. So that explains the sign. 

In response to it, some have expressed the opinion that placing a literal ban on opposite-sex romantic relationships (what, so same-sex couples are OK?), might be a little counterproductive.

Over at Cosmopolitan, Kathryn Lindsay wrote that "a more effective way to prevent 'love affairs' and pregnancy would be promoting safe sex and giving students resources like contraception, rather than making it something they have to keep secret and therefore afraid to ask important questions about."

Regardless of how problematic the sign is, though, we can all probably agree on one thing: It is worded far too dramatically. "Love affair will surely destroy the life of a young lady student." Surely? Destroy? The life? Of a young lady student? Take a chill pill, ya dumb sign!