Sex education is part of the national curriculum for mainstream UK secondary schools. But primary schools can decide themselves whether they teach the subject and this has led to teachers and parents alike asking whether sex education should be taught in primary schools.
Yes – Jude
It’s important for children to receive sex education from a young age – leaving it until secondary school can cause a number of problems. Children are much more sophisticated than they were a decade or two ago and it’s not unusual for them to be experimenting sexually at a young age. It’s therefore essential that they receive good quality sex education at the appropriate time in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unprotected sex.
Of course, the messages given at primary school will be suited to the age group of the children and will therefore give them a gentle introduction to the subject. Waiting until they are a bit older and then bombarding them with all the information at once can be very disturbing for some children and so it’s better to introduce them to the topic gradually over several years.
Children mature at different rates and some might be reaching puberty as young as ten or eleven years old – if we fail to teach them what is happening to their bodies, this can be a very scary time for children. It’s also important for children to know about sex and what is right and wrong so that they know to speak out if they are being sexually abused.
Some people say that children should be protected from sexual information but in a world where sex is on the TV, in magazines, and on music videos, there really is no getting away from it. It’s therefore better that they learn factually correct information from a teacher rather than believing playground gossip or scare stories from older siblings.
No – Walter
I don’t think children should learn about sex at school. It is a parent’s responsibility to teach their own child about the facts of life in the way that they feel is best. Children mature at different rates and whilst some nine or ten year olds may be able to understand, for others talking about this sensitive subject could be confusing and upsetting. It’s also very embarrassing for children to have to learn about these kinds of things alongside their classmates – it’s much better for them to learn in the safety of their own home.
I know many teachers also feel embarrassed talking about sex in lessons and it’s not fair to ask them to explain the facts of life to young children. They are not necessarily qualified to talk in this area and could give children vague or misleading information.
Primary school children should be allowed to enjoy their childhood for as long as possible. We should be protecting their innocence at this young age – rather than introducing them to the adult world.
For me, I think it is far better to wait until children start secondary school before introducing sex education into the classroom. Then it can be taught as part of their biology lessons in a scientific and correct way at an age when they are able to handle the information. Up until this point, I think the matter should be left to parents.
