The UK's most up-to-date social housing and public sector news website
Parents call for better sex education
Other education stories
- Nearly half of British public think children are becoming 'feral'
- Donations helped transform eyesore into charity headquarters
- Bradford student accommodation complex awarded 'highest ever' BREEAM rating
- Birmingham celebrates opening of new £40 million student homes complex
- Affordable homes crisis forcing village schools to close - NHF
Advertisement
More than four fifths of parents of school-age children (83%) think schools should teach young people about the emotional aspects of sex and relationships as well as the biological facts, according to a survey published today.
The study commissioned by the Sex Education Forum also found that 77% of parents think schools should be required to provide comprehensive sex and relationships education as part of the national curriculum.
The findings support a call from the organisation for personal, social and health education (PSHE) - which includes sex and relationships - to be compulsory.
Although under current legislation schools have to teach the biological aspects of sex, there is no statutory requirement to provide PSHE, which typically includes learning about relationships and the emotional aspects of sex, as well as life skills such as decision making, managing peer pressure and understanding risky behaviour.
"There is a clear groundswell of support for making PSHE compulsory within schools," said Anna Martinez, co-ordinator of the Sex Education Forum.
Meanwhile ChildLine, the 24 hour children's helpline run by the NSPCC, also called for better sex and relationships education, as it highlighted how children calling the helpline feel pressure to have sex at an early age, but lack knowledge about sexual health, staying safe and contraception.
Analysis of more than 5,800 calls to the 24-hour helpline highlighted a lack of awareness among young people, with ignorance and embarrassment about sex putting the health and well-being of young people at risk.
Children as young as 12 tell ChildLine they are turning to alcohol to cope with the embarrassment of their first sexual experiences, and the confusion surrounding contraception means risks such as sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy are barely considered.
ChildLine said it was calling on the Government to review PSHE, including learning about sexuality, relationships, safe sex and pregnancy, and to make this a statutory requirement in England.
GfK NOP carried out the survey between February 9 and March 28. Some 1,307 parents of youngsters up to 16 were interviewed.
Copyright Press Association 2006
