The debate over sex education in schools and the best way to tackle the issue has been ongoing for a number of years. Some say we’re already starting it too early and not letting children have their childhood, others argue we’re not starting this vital education early enough. Whatever side you take, it is without doubt a very important issue. This is something that all schools need to get right, and quickly.
This isn’t the type of subject that I would usually comment on, but as this is something that has already affected most of us as teenagers, we all probably have an opinion on whether our own schools succeeded in their sex education curriculum.
As a sixth former, I was recently given the opportunity to help revamp the sex education in my own school along with some of my friends. We were given the challenge of preparing a lesson for the Year 10s that needed to tackle ‘What is a healthy relationship?’
Our school has always provided sex education, but as to whether it covered everything it needed to or whether it was taught to the right age group is something that hadn’t occurred to me. When it came to leading the Year 10s in the lesson we had prepared, my eyes were really opened. These girls were already aware of a lot of the issues, and discussed it in a very mature and understanding manner. In reality, they had probably already had similar lessons further down the school, but it is a known fact that many schools would see age 14/15 as an appropriate age to raise these issues. Speaking to these girls made me realise it is absolutely not. This education needs to begin for them at a much younger age. Realistically, even if they’re not being taught it in school, it doesn’t mean they won’t come across situations where the education would have helped. Why not bring compulsory sex education into the curriculum when it will actually be useful to them?
Having said this, in my personal opinion I do support the belief that we need to be careful not to introduce it too early. It is becoming increasingly obvious that children are growing up more and more quickly, with primary school children watching their famous role models in sexualised music videos which are just not appropriate for them. Some argue that parents will know their child the best, and therefore know when they need to become aware of the issues surrounding sex. Children develop at different rates, and will continue to do so through their teenage years. Why should pupils be exposed to things that parents do not feel their children are ready for, just because others in their class are?
I think the most important debate here however is not whether sex ed is needed or not – at some stage it is, and I personally think that a school’s role in this is vital. What is more necessary to consider is at what age it should be introduced. Is early secondary school soon enough? Or should the education begin through the primary years with careful consideration of the nature of the issues discussed? What I find quite sad about this debate is that the minority will always outweigh the majority. While most of a class may not need the information they are given until a lot further in the future, the school still has a duty to protect all of its students. For the education of a few students, there will always be others that are exposed to issues at an unnecessarily early age for them individually.
This is such a controversial debate that maybe schools are afraid of how to tackle the issue. I find it incredible that in the 21st century, we have still not reached a point where at least all secondary schools across the country are providing acceptable education for an issue that is arguably one of the most useful in terms of what the pupils will actually use upon leaving school. It increases their knowledge of their health and well-being, and helps them develop positive attitudes towards themselves and their relationships with others.
What do you think – was the sex education you received good enough? Was it covered too early? Or too late? Do you think improvements still need to be made?
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