For once the government seems to have made a smart decision when it comes to sex education. And, of course, religious groups are crapping themselves left and right.
The Times Online report that today the “at present there is no statutory requirement” for teaching about relationships or the “emotional side” of sexual behavior, but starting in 2011, all 15-year-olds must receive at least one year of sex and relationship lessons.
While “sex and relationships lessons” perhaps isn’t the best name for the program as it sounds like a headline from Cosmopolitan, I’m pretty excited it.
Religious folks, however, are not excited about this as they think that parents should be in charge of telling their children about sex and relationships (aka Abstinence and Marriage).
But despite 79% of the population backing the idea that parents should be able to exempt a child from said “sex lessons”, the government is pushing forward with the program. This in part is in response to teenage pregnancy rates rising for the first time since 2002, and due to the staggering statistics that:
- - In 2007 there were 41.9 conceptions per 1,000 15 to 17-year-olds, which is up from 40.9 the year before.
- - England has the highest rates of teenage mothers in Western Europe.
While I don’t think that people should be married or in a civil partnership before they ever have sex, I respect that the program's angle of pushing the “importance of marriage, civil partnerships and stable relationships in family life” in addition to all the sex stuff.
Growing up, I’m sure we all learned about herpes and how to put on a condom, but no one ever explains to you the emotional side of a sexual relationship. We have an entire society and culture built on men and women (and same-sex couples, as well) not being able to understand each other.
Perhaps if we started teaching teens about relationships and the relationship between sexual and emotional behaviour, our kids will be better off than we are now.
Just a thought.
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