Should Sex Education Be Made Compulsary In Schools?

[FreedomOverdose 0]

I had this idea years ago that young secondary school/high school students should be taught about sex by their contemporaries. Where a much older student, whom the younger students respected, gave them advice and an insight into what to expect as they sexually mature.It evades the whole problem of rebellion against authority figures like parents and teachers and replaces it with one of a more respectful and more to the point relevant discussion as to sexual health.You would also use it as a tool for teaching the older students about social responsibility and it could even be used for college credit.My personal view is that teaching young people about sexual health is vital in maintaining a healthy attitude to sex and a healthy sexual lifestyle later on in life.It is also a vital tool in educating people about safe sex and not catching (or infecting others) with STI's, not to mention family planning and reducing teen pregnancy.It has been shown again and again that countries with a robust sexual education program have the lowest rates of transmitted STI's, HIV and unwanted pregnancies and that conversely, those who don't have such policies have some of the worst.What do you think?

[kudmus 0]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I think the best way to convey a massage to someone is to use someone they respect and believe to be on their side. There is always some sort of differences between kids and teachers or kids and parents. Kids think their parents and teachers 'no' a lot but, so they need someone who does just 'no' but 'knows' a lot.

[Deretto 0]

Sounds like something that might work. I know that when I learned about it as a young kid I sorta wanted to experience it and learn more. I'm ok though. No pregnancies and no diseases!As you said, they'll more then likely listen to someone that they actually respect.

[rvalkass 5]

In the UK, sex education is given in schools from around the age of 10/11 (while you're in your last year of primary school) and regularly throughout secondary school until the age of 16. For the most part this was done by teaching staff, or occasionally an outside speaker from a family planning clinic or somewhere similar. However, at the age of 14 we were given sex education by students in the sixth form (aged around 16/17).

I had this idea years ago that young secondary school/high school students should be taught about sex by their contemporaries. Where a much older student, whom the younger students respected, gave them advice and an insight into what to expect as they sexually mature.

You are right here. The students weren't really much older than those they were teaching, but it helps to relax the atmosphere and makes everyone more comfortable. When a teacher does it, everyone just starts giggling and no-one takes it seriously. It becomes embarrassing all round, even for the teacher! Having students only a few years older than you do it made more sense. People were less embarrassed, asked more questions, and the lessons generally were more useful.

It evades the whole problem of rebellion against authority figures like parents and teachers and replaces it with one of a more respectful and more to the point relevant discussion as to sexual health.

I agree. When it came to sex education, the students really respected the sixth form students more than the teachers. Why? Because they can relate to eachother more easily in a topic that is often awkward and difficult to discuss, especially among a group with your friends. The brief was something along the lines of "Keep it fun and relaxed, but get the point across" and it really worked. When teachers and parents do it, it seems forced and awkward for everyone concerned. When discussing it with people only a few years older than you, the students really seemed to get more involved, take it seriously, and generally respond to it better.

You would also use it as a tool for teaching the older students about social responsibility and it could even be used for college credit.

It certainly taught the sixth form students a sense of responsibility, both towards their younger students and to society generally. We don't have "college credit" in the UK, but many students who took part in teaching the younger students mentioned it on their University applications or job applications and CVs.

My personal view is that teaching young people about sexual health is vital in maintaining a healthy attitude to sex and a healthy sexual lifestyle later on in life.

I agree entirely. Sex education makes a huge difference, and it also makes the topic somewhat easier to discuss. I know that for our first sex education session (at primary school) our parents were invited to discuss it with the staff, look at all the videos, worksheets, whatever we were using and just to generally be aware of what were being taught. That made the topic easier for parents to discuss with their kids, as they knew exactly what they had done that day, what they had seen, what they knew, etc.

At secondary school this was never done, so parents didn't know if or when their kids were being given sex education. It's a difficult topic to bring up spontaneously, and without that headstart for the parents, many students found it much harder to discuss it with their parents as time went on.

It is also a vital tool in educating people about safe sex and not catching (or infecting others) with STI's, not to mention family planning and reducing teen pregnancy.

Again, agreed. Whether people follow the advice they have been given is another matter entirely, but I think we were taught pretty much everything you needed to know at school.

It has been shown again and again that countries with a robust sexual education program have the lowest rates of transmitted STI's, HIV and unwanted pregnancies and that conversely, those who don't have such policies have some of the worst.

This, unfortunately, I have to disagree with. In the UK we have a very comprehensive sex education policy, and it is taught from a very early age, and reinforced right up until school leaving age (and the legal age at which you can have sex). However, STIs are on the increase, and our rates of teenage and unwanted pregnancies are some of the highest in Europe, if not the world.

I think many students see sex education as an invitation to start having sex, despite the fact that sex education is started at the age of 11, and the legal age of consent is 16. Coupled with increased alcohol consumption by youths, people are just ignoring common sense advice and getting themselves into all sorts of life-changing and disastrous problems.

[jopak134 0]

well not below 17 i think, just before they graduate. teaching this to little kids is insane

[Echo_of_thunder 1]

Yes it should be, and also it should be tought to the teachers as well, IE Lafave, But it should be tought. I can see some mothers and fathers not wishing there childern to learn this in school. But thats better than learning on the streets or by listening to idle talk of other kids, that dont know better or have a clue of that they are talking about.

[innosia 1]

I think that if teaching sex it means that you are leading them to know 'sex' in the early age, they will try to know more, to learn more, and when gathers with friends, they try to learn from each other until someone from higher age that knows them will teach them, this lead to many sexual abuse, sex in early ages, pregnancy and problems like that.I find that the mother nature already give us natural things we need to know, so it does not need for us to learn such a nature things. I think sex education must be educated in the age that legal for sex, in doing so, the education is pointing out that the sex diseases or STD (sexually transmitted diseases). If teaching at an early age, some kid that know (from his/her environment) first might try to influence another kid so that every kids is going to have family problem.If you don't say 'sex', noone will know it, by once you are teaching about something new, people will try to seek for more information, try to know, and maybe practicing it. If we just stay quiet, until they know it by themselves, then we teach what they really should know which is the STD problems that is very wide today. Because kids are curious, the new thing that they learn will finally lead them to indulge themselves in the condition, and then lead to astray.

[iGuest 3]

hey,17?I don't think so, please do read news and watch updated information on television, even 17 years old and below do already experience "sex", then how could you defend your answer to teach sex education to age above 17, make sense isn't?

-reply by makesense

[sheepdog 10]

I'm going to be off the wall on this one.I think that is should be the parents responsibility to teach the children. Not the government sponsered school system. If parents are going to be bringing babies into this world, they should step up to the responsibility of raising them properly. They should not be so willing to turn over any major part of the children's education to the government. To have a public educational system is fine for the basics, the good old 3 R's (remember them, reading riting and rithmatic) Due to a very wide array of different religious beliefs this is one segment of the populations education that should be left up to the parents. And if you don't want to teach your children right from wrong, or be responsible for them, don't have any.