Who should teach 7 year olds about sex?

[Chris_Sleeps]

and I feel another thing is that its sexualising the youth from a younger and younger age..

Yet again, that's an argument in favour of sex education too. If children are being sexualised then education can combat that.

A school is going to offer you the option of opting your child out of sex ed (they have to ) but surely it should be put a school wide parental vote.

 

[...] It should be a vote all the kids or none of the kids.

That's not right. If one family is against and 99 in favour then the lessons don't go ahead. That is no way of organising education.

[Xt500]

Yet again, that's an argument in favour of sex education too. If children are being sexualised then education can combat that.

 

That's not right. If one family is against and 99 in favour then the lessons don't go ahead. That is no way of organising education.

 

well it seems to be the way that everythnig else works.

[Tommo68]

 

That's not right. If one family is against and 99 in favour then the lessons don't go ahead. That is no way of organising education.

 

I said put it to a vote I never suggested anyone should have a veto.

 

If the majority are in favour of something then as this is a democracy that is what the majority should get.

 

If deciding something democratically is as you say 'no way of organising education', or anything else for that matter, I am intrigued as to what alternative you suggest.

 

Our own brand of democracy is not a perfect way to run things but it is I think better than any of the alternatives I am aware of that are being used or, like communism, have failed, elsewhere. I am however very much in favour of reforms to our election process.

.

.

[Halibut]

well it seems to be the way that everythnig else works.

 

No it doesn't.

[cosywolf]

Would it help to know how some (and I would guess most) primary schools are handling sex ed at the moment? Might bring some blood temperatures down as some of you seem to be under the misapprehension they're teaching positions from the Kama Sutra in there.

 

Mine is 9 and just had his first lesson (one lesson in Year 4, one in Year 6 is how they do it at our school.)

 

It was not about sex in any way. It was about how their bodies are changing physically.

 

Parents were invited to see the film to be shown to the children, first, and ask any questions/raise any concerns we may have. Also so we can answer any questions our children may have that they don't want to ask at school or think of later. Four of us were interested enough to turn up.

 

They didn't take questions in the class, but provided a place for children to write down what they wanted to know. They then answered appropriate questions in a follow-up session. More difficult/less age appropriate questions are tackled individually after a discussion with the parents because some children will have a more advanced understanding/questions to ask for various reasons.

 

I don't see the problem with any of this except a) I think they could have started earlier, and b) I find it really bizarre to miss out a year when they could be building on what the children learned previously, slowly but steadily.

 

I think both the school and the parents have a responsibility to teach their children about their bodies, how their bodies change, relationships, and, when appropriate, sex. Just as they have a responsibility to be involved in all other aspects of children's education. Children will hopefully benefit from the knowledge both can provide.

 

I started answering the inevitable questions age appropriately from the day the questions started. There are also some great books out there, for every age.

Sadly, some parents will behave as if bodies and biology are by nature dirty and shameful and should not be spoken of, and in those cases school may provide the only safe and factual information those kids will ever get.

In my opinion, sex ed should be compulsory. In a perfect world, people wouldn't get their knickers in a twist about something so basic to all of our lives, either.

[Chris_Sleeps]

If deciding something democratically is as you say 'no way of organising education', or anything else for that matter, I am intrigued as to what alternative you suggest.

It's not democratic, it's despotic. You don't allow anyone to opt-in or opt-out.

 

We should let people choose - which is democratic by its very nature. Allowing parents to put their child in or take their children out of sex-ed is the only way to organise it.

[Tommo68]

It's not democratic, it's despotic. You don't allow anyone to opt-in or opt-out.

 

We should let people choose - which is democratic by its very nature. Allowing parents to put their child in or take their children out of sex-ed is the only way to organise it.

 

A school is not allowed to stop parents opting their child out. I had mentioned the potential problems of parents opting their children out. I did not say that they should not should they wish to do I just don't think it wise if others are opted in.

 

Having a whole school or authority or even a national reforendum on matters as sensitive on this and whether or not a school should run it for all pupils would be a surely be a positive thing.

 

Its as potentially as controvertial as the promoting homosexuality in schools thing. Allowing some sort of democratic voting on this would help prevent such controversy and alleviate some of the concerns of parents as perhaps then more details about what this sex-ed for juniors might entail.

.

[aliceBB]

Would it help to know how some (and I would guess most) primary schools are handling sex ed at the moment? Might bring some blood temperatures down as some of you seem to be under the misapprehension they're teaching positions from the Kama Sutra in there.

 

Mine is 9 and just had his first lesson (one lesson in Year 4, one in Year 6 is how they do it at our school.)

 

It was not about sex in any way. It was about how their bodies are changing physically.

 

Parents were invited to see the film to be shown to the children, first, and ask any questions/raise any concerns we may have. Also so we can answer any questions our children may have that they don't want to ask at school or think of later. Four of us were interested enough to turn up.

 

They didn't take questions in the class, but provided a place for children to write down what they wanted to know. They then answered appropriate questions in a follow-up session. More difficult/less age appropriate questions are tackled individually after a discussion with the parents because some children will have a more advanced understanding/questions to ask for various reasons.

 

I don't see the problem with any of this except a) I think they could have started earlier, and b) I find it really bizarre to miss out a year when they could be building on what the children learned previously, slowly but steadily.

 

I think both the school and the parents have a responsibility to teach their children about their bodies, how their bodies change, relationships, and, when appropriate, sex. Just as they have a responsibility to be involved in all other aspects of children's education. Children will hopefully benefit from the knowledge both can provide.

 

I started answering the inevitable questions age appropriately from the day the questions started. There are also some great books out there, for every age.

Sadly, some parents will behave as if bodies and biology are by nature dirty and shameful and should not be spoken of, and in those cases school may provide the only safe and factual information those kids will ever get.

In my opinion, sex ed should be compulsory. In a perfect world, people wouldn't get their knickers in a twist about something so basic to all of our lives, either.

Thank you for that post. That does indeed seem a sensible way of approaching it.

 

Interesting that only four parents turned up to the info session, though. Why do you think that might have been?

[cosywolf]

I don't know, AliceBB. Perhaps because they trust the school's judgement. Perhaps because many have children who have already done sex ed at that school. There is plenty of parental involvement in the school, so I wouldn't put it down as apathy/not caring.

 

I went because I was nosy, and wanted to make sure I was ready for any questions. A couple went because they were concerned sex might be mentioned in it. Everyone left happy enough, anyway.

 

Oh, and it is a small school, to be fair

[Chris_Sleeps]

A school is not allowed to stop parents opting their child out. [...] I did not say that they should not should they wish to do I just don't think it wise if others are opted in.

I don't get your point. You say the above and yet argue for a vote where the loser is forced to follow what everyone else is doing. You are stopping people opting in or out.

Having a whole school or authority or even a national reforendum on matters as sensitive

Let's see - a national referendum on sex education vs. allowing parents to opt-out.

 

I think, logistically, that the current organisation of sex ed is quite fine thanks. I don't think the ballot box is quite needed just yet.

 

--------

 

I find it heart-warming that cosywolf has put the most balanced view forward yet. I do feel sorry for anyone trying to put forward sex-ed in schools when they have reactionary nonsense to fight against.