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Sex education move 'unnecessary'
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Moves to make sex and drugs education compulsory will put an increasing strain on an already crowded curriculum, teachers' leaders warned.
The subjects are to become mandatory in all primary and secondary schools as part of a shake-up aimed at cutting Britain's high teenage pregnancy rate and steering youngsters away from drug and alcohol misuse.
The lessons will form part of a wider new personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum that is expected to be introduced by 2010. The announcement follows reviews into sex and drugs education in school.
But one school leader said the move was "unnecessary".
John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said: "Central prescription is increasing when it ought to be reduced. Regrettably, governments have a horrible habit of making more and more things compulsory and increasing the constraints on state schools."
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said: "There has just been a major review of the secondary curriculum and there is shortly to be a similar review in primary schools. Quite simply, space has to be made for personal, social and health education in the school day, and sufficient training and necessary specialist staff made available.
"When Citizenship was introduced, it was bolted onto the secondary curriculum and many schools are still struggling to include it today."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union said ministers' proposals to allow parents to opt out of sex lessons would made a mockery of the compulsory aspect of the classes.
Presenting the findings of the reviews, schools minister Jim Knight said Sir Alasdair MacDonald, head teacher of Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets, East London, will lead a review into the best way to make PSHE compulsory and consider where parents should be allowed to opt out.
Mr Knight said: "I think it's important for individual parents' views to be taken into account in some of these sensitive areas and their right to withdraw from parts of education in those areas that they do not feel comply with their moral views and beliefs and that they will be better dealing with in the home."
Reader views (3)
Next you'll be taking this further with baby and childcare education for the toddlers. Or even further back so that babies can change their own nappies. The kids have hardly any childhood left these days what with TV, computers and so on and now you want to rob them of all their childhood.
- Len, Perth, Australia, 24/10/2008 00:15
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We live in an age where kids are being forced to grow up very quickly. Far too quickly in many ways. They are bombarded with messages, both subliminal and overt in the media. People should not freak out at the word "sex' in education. This education is to try and get children to understand their own feelings and try and give them the information they need to make good choices later on in life. Sex and drug education should be essential part of school and as it would be age sensitive, would be understandable. Parents who think lack of information is useful are living in a dream. Information should not be shoved down any child's throat but we must be aware.
- Katie, Wandsworth, 23/10/2008 22:03
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This will be a great help to those wanting relationships with children: no more needless confusion!
- John, London, 23/10/2008 13:14
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