Sex Education in Schools

[Ozzieshunni]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/05/guy-gets-ticket-30-second_n_525091.html

Found this article today declaring it illegal to teach high school students how to use contraception or condoms in health class in a county in Wisconsin.

I'm personally outraged! I feel that teaching abstinence does not work as it just leaves kids curious and uninformed. I know when I have children I would want them informed about what sex is and the consequences and how to protect themselves, either from myself or in school.

What do you think? What is the earliest kids should learn about sex? Do you think safe sex should be taught in schools?

 

[aob1013]

I think contraception should be taught in schools, as some parents may not want to talk about it. However, i don't think it will stop accidents happening x

 

[Nic1107]

https://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/wis-da-threatens-arrest-for-local-sex-ed-teachers/19430578

In defence of my home state, it is actually state law that sex education classes are offered, and students are taught the proper use of birth control and STD prevention. Students are allowed to opt out of the classes if their parents sign them out. This is only one crazy district attorney in one county, writing angry threatening letters to scare teachers into following his "morals". It is not law however in any county here.

 

[Serenity81]

My children are in primary 2 and primary 5 and they have already began learning basic sex education. My daughter and son were both taught all the correct names for their body parts (including vagina, penis, testicles etc) in primary 1. My son just brought a letter home before the easter holidays saying that they were going to be taught about menstruation, all the proper names for the inside of a woman and man's reproductive systems (sperm, womb, egg, fertilisation etc) and that they would be taught how baby's are created. Personally I think that the earlier you start teaching them then the more informed and secure they will be about making their choices. I am very open with my children and if they ask me any questions then I answer them honestly. At first part of me was worried that they would lose their innocence being taught this at such a young age but it's taught in a fantastic way and done in small sessions every so often, not rammed down their throats everyday. xx

 

[suzib76]

My children are in primary 2 and primary 5 and they have already began learning basic sex education. My daughter and son were both taught all the correct names for their body parts (including vagina, penis, testicles etc) in primary 1. My son just brought a letter home before the easter holidays saying that they were going to be taught about menstruation, all the proper names for the inside of a woman and man's reproductive systems (sperm, womb, egg, fertilisation etc) and that they would be taught how baby's are created. Personally I think that the earlier you start teaching them then the more informed and secure they will be about making their choices. I am very open with my children and if they ask me any questions then I answer them honestly. At first part of me was worried that they would lose their innocence being taught this at such a young age but it's taught in a fantastic way and done in small sessions every so often, not rammed down their throats everyday. xx

ours are the same (im in carnoustie pmsl)
i also think that its ok and they should be taught, i have just had a baby and both my kids were very inquisitive and i couldnt help but wonder, for all the people that dont believe kids should know these things, what the hell do they tell them lol

i also have a freind in dundee who has a P2 and she has just been up to watch the vidoe at school which explains the ins and outs to parents of whet the kids will be seeing/learning - she was outraged and is not allowing him to do the sex ed - he still calls his willy a ding-a-ling ffs he is 7

 

[sobersadie]

Yeah i think kids should be taught about their bodies and how babies are made etc as soon as possible (how you tell them and what you tell them should be made appropriate for their age obviously). My son is 8 and anything he asks me i tell him - the other day he asked what a period was and i just explained to him. He is quite grown up and to the point about body things and i would rather he learned properly from me than his pals telling him a load of nonsense. Ill be doing the same with my other 2. I think they should get taught it in school too but i think parents should be most responsible for teaching their kids these things (we didnt get sex ed till high school and by then some people were already pregnant!!).

 

[Ozzieshunni]

My children are in primary 2 and primary 5 and they have already began learning basic sex education. My daughter and son were both taught all the correct names for their body parts (including vagina, penis, testicles etc) in primary 1. My son just brought a letter home before the easter holidays saying that they were going to be taught about menstruation, all the proper names for the inside of a woman and man's reproductive systems (sperm, womb, egg, fertilisation etc) and that they would be taught how baby's are created. Personally I think that the earlier you start teaching them then the more informed and secure they will be about making their choices. I am very open with my children and if they ask me any questions then I answer them honestly. At first part of me was worried that they would lose their innocence being taught this at such a young age but it's taught in a fantastic way and done in small sessions every so often, not rammed down their throats everyday. xx

ours are the same (im in carnoustie pmsl)
i also think that its ok and they should be taught, i have just had a baby and both my kids were very inquisitive and i couldnt help but wonder, for all the people that dont believe kids should know these things, what the hell do they tell them lol

i also have a freind in dundee who has a P2 and she has just been up to watch the vidoe at school which explains the ins and outs to parents of whet the kids will be seeing/learning - she was outraged and is not allowing him to do the sex ed - he still calls his willy a ding-a-ling ffs he is 7

Cool! I'm in Arbroath! Not that far! Anyways, thanks for all your input. I'm totally in agreement. I can't believe one DA decided to make this his own personal vendetta. Sheesh What is the USA coming to?

 

[strawberry19]

the uk is just as bad sex ed is taught here and at a young age too but the way it was taught to us just encouraged some people im 19 and 90% of the girls i went to school with have had babies most unplanned this was starting from about when i was 15 there were girls in my year getting pregnant but has deffinatly shot up over the last few years i spoke myself to my brother today who is 15 and 3 of his tutor group are expecting babies he recons there is at least one pregnant female in each of his classes
personally i dont think schools do enough and the tv is very obsessed with sex sells which it does!! my own mother was never very any good with me as we wasnt that close my aunty however really great!! i know when i do finally get a baby and when he or she is grown up im not going to lie to them if they ask something i will tell them the truth and il make sure they are well educated about sex and relationships. its a shame really as i live in a small town and it was in the paper a while back that we have the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the whole county.. disapointed isnt the word for it

 

[aimee-lou]

I know I'm probably a bit niave as I only have one LO and he's still only little, but to be honest, I wouldn't want his teacher telling him what his body does when he's 6-7 years of age. That's my and my husbands job as responsible parents. As he gets more developed and understands the biology then maybe he will be able to cope with sex education classes at school.

I remember that we had a talk about periods (seperate from the boys) at the age of 8. Then in year 6 (age 11) we had sex education lessons which involved watching a video on a friday afternoon while the teacher drank tea in the back. Then in year 7 we had the 'biological' side of life and all that happened was every time the rather embarrassed biology teacher said anything vaguely rude, we all just sniggered as we were too young to firmly understand the importance and just thought it was funny. I learnt absolutely nothing about my own body from any of these 3 sessions, and even at the first one had the living daylights scared out of me as it wasnt explained properly and I had nightmares for 2 years that I was going to bleed to death!!!

For Earl, and my husband and I are in agreement about this, WE will be responsible for his sex education until we think he's old enough to cope and we can make sure he fully understands, not, as is the case sometimes at school, only hears part of the story that sounds the most appealing. It helps of course that by then huby will be a biology teacher (starting uni in Sept) so I guess we'll be better placed than most.

 

[lozzy21]

The extent of my sex education was dont do it before you are married or you will go to hell

 

[buttonnose82]

I think we should follow a more european (likes of spain etc) approach to sex education, in many schools children are taught about their bodies, respecting their bodies, different types of relationships, inappropriate behaviour in regards to their bodies etc from infant school, as a result they have ALOT lower rate of teenage pregnancy and STI's

 

[jen1604]

Do you think safe sex should be taught in schools?

Absolutely It still astounds me how many adults don't know enough about safe sex.
I don't understand why people don't want their kids to learn about it,young children I understand but teenagers....Teenagers have always had sex and will continue to have sex,why can't we teach them how to be as safe as possible?

I know I'm probably a bit niave as I only have one LO and he's still only little, but to be honest, I wouldn't want his teacher telling him what his body does when he's 6-7 years of age. That's my and my husbands job as responsible parents. As he gets more developed and understands the biology then maybe he will be able to cope with sex education classes at school.

I remember that we had a talk about periods (seperate from the boys) at the age of 8. Then in year 6 (age 11) we had sex education lessons which involved watching a video on a friday afternoon while the teacher drank tea in the back. Then in year 7 we had the 'biological' side of life and all that happened was every time the rather embarrassed biology teacher said anything vaguely rude, we all just sniggered as we were too young to firmly understand the importance and just thought it was funny. I learnt absolutely nothing about my own body from any of these 3 sessions, and even at the first one had the living daylights scared out of me as it wasnt explained properly and I had nightmares for 2 years that I was going to bleed to death!!!

For Earl, and my husband and I are in agreement about this, WE will be responsible for his sex education until we think he's old enough to cope and we can make sure he fully understands, not, as is the case sometimes at school, only hears part of the story that sounds the most appealing. It helps of course that by then huby will be a biology teacher (starting uni in Sept) so I guess we'll be better placed than most.

I think this is fab.I will be doing the same with making sure my LO's understand their bodies and sex.The thing that scares me is that a lot of parents don't make sure they're talking to their LO's about it and thats why I think we definitely need to make sure we have good sex education available in all schools xx

 

[Pixxie]

Our class wasnt allowed to do sex ed because we were 'too immature' can you believe! x

 

[lesleyann]

i only ever had to sex ed classes one in year 5 about periods as someone above said it scared the life out of me.

one in year 6 ( last year of primary) where we watched a video of people walking about naked

I lernt nothing everything i learnt was from experience/ internet

 

[morri]

I think school age is old enough to learn the basics about sex. the deeper stuff comes in secondary school. I had sex ed in year 3 , 6, 8, and 9.

Although I also read the books of a life is created by lennart nillson which belonged to my mother Loved the book

 

[Mamabel]

Hi, I'm a high school teacher, and do believe in sex education. However, as a parent, I want to be the one to educate my daughters about sex. Here in NY, they teach maturity in fifth grade, kids are 10 years old. I think that's old enough, but want to be the one to teach my daughters...not a teacher. So, I am somewhat forced by the state's curriculum to teach it to them before fifth grade, whether I want to or not. That does rankle a bit.

Now, as an aside, I did have to teach my third grader, age 8 about it this past winter...as we got caught TTC! Funny in one way, but she was somewhat freaked out in another way. Thought it was "disgusting," which is good at her age, I suppose. Of course, it's gross when your parents do it at any age, right?! :-0

 

[TattiesMum]

I think we should follow a more european (likes of spain etc) approach to sex education, in many schools children are taught about their bodies, respecting their bodies, different types of relationships, inappropriate behaviour in regards to their bodies etc from infant school, as a result they have ALOT lower rate of teenage pregnancy and STI's

I'm not convinced that Europe's lower rates of Teenage Pregnancy and STIs are to do with their approach to sex education though

These countries have very different societal set ups to ours ... families are closer with all generations tending to be very much part of each other's lives, Religion is more rigidly practiced and their societies in general are much less tolerant than we are here

Thus Teens, and young Adults are 'watched' much more closely - girls are still chaperoned by older family members and the threat of being cut off from family if you bring 'disgrace' on them is still very much alive ... much as it was here in the 60's and 70's.

Here in the UK we have almost obsessively followed the lead of the US rather than mainland Europe in our attitudes and society ... nuclear families, tolerance for all etc and we have paid the price. Here an unmarried pregnancy is just accepted and our divorce rate is sky high - also unlike Spain etc

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't want to go back to a time where single mothers had their babies removed from them at birth for adoption and so on, even if that were possible, but the fact is that we have some of the problems that we do because our society allows it .... and no amount of sex education is going to turn the clock back.

 

[aob1013]

There's nothing wrong with an umarried young pregnancy - I'm young and unmarried (engaged though) and I'm proud of it.

No amount of 'Sex Ed' will ever prevent accidents, accident's will continue for the rest of time

 

[TattiesMum]

There's nothing wrong with an umarried young pregnancy - I'm young and unmarried (engaged though) and I'm proud of it.

No amount of 'Sex Ed' will ever prevent accidents, accident's will continue for the rest of time

I agree with you ... you know I do A good Mum is a good Mum - age doesn't come into it... I know lots of fantastic teenage mums and quite a few older Mums who seem to find their children an inconvenience

But people who DO have an issue with it always seem to focus on sex education and how too much/too little affects the teen pregnancy rates It's a bit of a hobby horse of mine that if people want a society which allows them personal freedom to do what they wish without judgement (as we more or less have now), then they have to accept that the same applies to others