Lowering the age of sex education - What do you think?

Sex education for children as young as five is being introduced by the Government from 2010.

The new legislation, announced on 23rd October, mean that children will be taught the basics of anatomy and relationships at least six years earlier than the current guidelines state.

The change, brought about by Britain’s soaring teenage pregnancy rate, has triggered mixed reactions worldwide.

Statistics claim more than four percent of Britain’s pregnancies are from under 18s, suggesting the current systems are failing.

Amy Buckley, 19 year old mum, of Marlow Drive, Brighton said ‘sex education relates to teenage pregnancies because it is badly taught, not because of the age we are taught it’.

This view is shared by Scott Bellamy, 21, Student Vice President of Representation, who believes many schools are reluctant to teach, making the subject ineffective. ‘Teen pregnancy is getting younger’ he said, ‘it’s so alarming because with sex education at 13 it’s too late’.

Nursery Manager Terry Steed, of Shillito Road, Parkstone, thinks that it is not just down to the school.

The mother-of-two said ‘If a parent is a responsible one then they will talk to their child’ and new parent Dr James Palfreman-Kay of Redhill, Bournemouth agreed ‘we will be open [with our son] so he can make highly informed decisions’.

But Anna Dodridge, 27, an Advice and Guidance Representative argued that despite rising peer pressure people aren’t always able to talk to parents.

Lowering the age that Sex Education is introduced into the curriculum aims to eliminate the awkwardness of this topic ‘it shouldn’t be seen as a taboo subject’ says Dr Palfreman-Kay.

At the age of five we cannot underestimate what young children take in. Ann Smith, 44, of Richmond Street, Southampton thinks that a greater awareness would help prevent teen pregnancy.

Tourism Management Student Beki Withey, 18, agreed ‘girls can develop at an early age so they need to be taught’ but her boyfriend Liam Swan, 19, from Aborfield, Reading said ‘ guys don’t need to know as early though, because they don’t have periods’.

Tash Wetherall, 18, a Receptionist at Talbot Medical Centre, thinks that five is too young.

Even though adding the fourth ‘R’, reproduction, to the traditional curriculum of reading, writing and arithmetic, would only mean learning the basic differences between a man and a woman, she would rather ‘preserve their innocence’ adding ‘but I would always tell a boy to treat a girl nicely’.