aliceBB Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Many 7 year olds are already taught about sex in school. Some people think that's too young and withdraw their children from those lessons. Some (the majority) are more than happy for teachers to deal with the subject. Some think it's the parents' job, not the school's. What do you think about the proposal to make it compulsory for all state schools to deliver sex and relationships education to pupils age 7 and upwards? http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28934047 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz3 Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 I'm quite shocked that it's not already happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 I think that the really important message from the proposal is that the lessons are age appropriate so at age 7 they aren't likely to be having really complex discussions about peer pressure and condoms, but discussing that girls and boys are different and that it's OK to say no to anybody who wants you to take your clothes off. I think that most of this is already covered in most curricula anyway, but maybe this is to bring the faith schools and independents into the same line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 I'm quite shocked that it's not already happening. Well, as medusa suggests, it is in some state schools, but it's not mandatory in free schools or academies or private schools. And in my experience, it is better taught in some primaries than others. Some teachers feel uncomfortable being told to teach about sex and relationships, not least (according to friends of mine who teach that age group) since a lot of 7 year olds have seen stuff on TV or the internet which they don't fully understand, so their questions can be quite difficult to field at a level appropriate to the child's age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidley Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 i would say the younger the better so they dont get the playground nonsense in there head first. whats age got to do with learning how you came into this world.if its taught in a way that kids can understand it and in stages thats appropriate ime all for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 I suppose the problem might be that not all children of the same age will be ready for the same information at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razvanalbu Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Uncle, step parent, vicar, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I suppose the problem might be that not all children of the same age will be ready for the same information at the same time. Could that not be said of any subject? Personally I think we wrap to much mystery around sex/sexuality. Whatever we teach our kids i believe it would have to incorporate the plethora of bad and poor information that is available in abundance to youngsters as a counter, which in itself is more of a concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Could that not be said of any subject? Personally I think we wrap to much mystery around sex/sexuality.Up to a point I agree, but different skills are needed with different kids to get across content which is not purely factual and which (in the rest of society) is as you say shrouded in myths and mystery. Whatever we teach our kids i believe it would have to incorporate the plethora of bad and poor information that is available in abundance to youngsters as a counter, which in itself is more of a concern Couldn't agree more. When my kids were 7 the internet was in its own infancy and they certainly didn't have access to some of the material available now. We dealt with the subject simply by answering questions honestly when they arose. Gathering a group of internet-savvy 7 or 8 year year olds together and teaching them the purely biological aspects of reproduction is one thing, but making them feel confident about their own bodies and answering the big questions - like why on earth would anyone want to do that (have sex), when it looks so disgusting (seriously, that is the reaction, before their hormones kick in, of many pre-pubescent children) is another. I also wonder how a teacher can teach about 'relationships' without being purely descriptive : 'Some people do this, some do the other, it's all OK'. But how do you deal with the subject of abuse, prostitution or even promiscuity when some children's parents are abused or prostitutes? And what line do you take (if at all) on when it's OK to have a sexual relationship, given the normalisation of sex with new partners in the soap operas and other media? I think we are asking a lot of primary teachers and whilst I would not want kids to approach adolescents ignorant of the pressures they will soon be under (from their own biochemistry and from their peers and the media), I am now wondering whether they get enough support to do a job which was traditionally the parents' role (until someone higher up the food chain decided that parents weren't doing it well enough). How is any one teacher (who may not have experienced a long-term, or any, sexual realationship yet) to answer questions about sex? Or doesn't that matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANGELFIRE1 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 " Who should teach 7 year olds about sex? " The Parents. Angel1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.