About time too!

[DZ]

[quote user="Teamedup"]

Sadly in some of those african countries where they don't do this, they have some other horrible things that women 'have done to them'.

[/quote]

You are right, Teamedup.  The statistics on the "cultural" practices are frightening indeed.  I was amazed to read that 98% of girls are subjected to infibulation in Somalia, 97% to clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation, 90% in Ethiopia to clitoridectomy and excision... I could go on.  I would urge anyone interested in the subject of women's human rights to check out Amnesty International's website. 

[Tillergirl]

[quote user="Dicksmith"]In the UK it is just below 16. Sex Education is compulsory but parents have the right to withdraw their children on conscientious grounds (the only time this has ever happened in my experience is a Jehovah's Witness family). There is no need to ask permission to teach any topic in the National Curriculum.
Where do you get this information from?
[/quote]

 

Sorry Dick but your wrong this time.

Sex education is voluntry not compuylsory in Britain.

However at the moment the Minister for Children who it would appear is responible for the Sex education policy rather than the education secretary is in the process of a national consultation as to wether or not it should be compulsory.

In her own words when interviewed on television she doesn't feel that the majority of parents in  britain are comfortable with sex education in schools.  As such she is trying to discover what can be done to put these parents fears to rest and if there are any improvements that can be made to the system in general.

 

 

[Dick Smith]

Sorry - it is a compulsory part of the curriculum (ie it has to be there, like RE, and a school is noted as failing if it doesn't do it). Parents can, however, withdraw their children on religious or conscientious grounds.

I quote from the Guidance:

This section looks at the requirement for schools to have a sex and

relationship education policy and some of the specific issues that a

policy might need to cover.

Governing bodies and head teachers should consult parents in

developing their sex and relationship education policy to ensure that

they develop policies which reflect parents’ wishes and the culture of

the community they serve.

What is required?

1.1 All schools must have an up-to-date policy which is made available for inspection

and to parents. The policy must:

  define sex and relationship education;

  describe how sex and relationship education is provided and who is

responsible for providing it;

  say how sex and relationship education is monitored and evaluated;

  include information about parents’ right to withdrawal; and

  be reviewed regularly.

1.2 The Department recommends that sex and relationship education is delivered

through the PSHE and Citizenship framework. Schools therefore will want to have

an overall policy on PSHE and Citizenship including sex and relationship

education. It is also essential that governing bodies involve parents in developing

and reviewing their policy. This will ensure that they reflect parents’ wishes and

the culture of the community the school serves. Governors and parents will need

to address the issue of how those who miss lessons on sex and relationship

education can catch up on another occasion.

That = compulsory.

I don't see what it is to do with the Children's Minister - it's an education issue. She isn't an education minister, despite being within (almost) the DfES.

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="Tillergirl"]

This figure it would seem even by the government is put down to poor sex and relationship education in Britain.

[/quote]

Well, I have to say I was shocked to hear that sex education is done in French schools in 4ème.  That's the 13-14 year olds.  Isn't that a bit late?   I mean, by that age they've already had about 6 years of seeing teatime TV ads about condoms and Tampax.   And I'm sure none of them think they're sweeties.    

[Tillergirl]

What must schools teach?

• Biology is compulsory, covering the physical facts about puberty and reproduction. Schools should also cover the basics of HIV and contraception.

• The broader SRE (sex and relationships education) covering relationships, feelings, attitudes and morals, as well as the detail of pregnancy and disease-prevention and how to get help etc., is not compulsory, but may be taught as part of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).

How can I find out what sex education is given at my child's school?
Check the school prospectus or website, or contact the Head or your child's Year Tutor and ask to see an up-to-date sex education policy.

What are my rights as a parent?
You have the right:

• to be consulted by the school and told what is covered in SRE

• to withdraw your child from some or all SRE lessons, but not statutory science lessons. If you do withdraw your child, the school should tell you what topics your child has missed.

I want to know more – what should I be asking?
The answers to these questions will give you a good idea of just how much effort your school is putting into providing SRE beyond the statutory minimum.

• How often is SRE given?
  Does it feature regularly on the timetable? Shockingly, you may find that SRE is not taught at all, or is hived off into occasional 'guidance' days. It's possible that your child is receiving sex education for less than a couple of hours a year.

• Who teaches PSHE, and how are they trained?
  Many teachers are non-specialist, untrained and lack confidence. Does the school have a named member of staff managing PSHE provision? Have any teachers been awarded the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Certificate in PSHE?

• Is the school following both sets of SRE guidelines, one laid down by the DfES in 2000, the other in 2005 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ?
  These two detailed sets of guidelines lay out which topics should be covered in an adequate PSHE programme, and how they should be assessed.

• Is your school part of the National Healthy Schools Programme?
  This is a Government initiative, aimed at improving the health of young people. A school can only achieve Healthy School status if it meets the Programme's detailed criteria in four areas, including sex and relationship education.

• What links does your school have with local health services?
  Are there links with the local Primary Care Trust, so that nurses or doctors come into school to talk to pupils? Are pupils told where to go for confidential, one-to-one follow-up advice?

What can I do if I'm not satisfied?
See if other parents agree. Arrange to talk to the Head, or raise the matter with the School Association, Parents' Association or governing body.

[Dick Smith]

TG - I don't want to make a row out of this, and I don't know where that document comes from, but schools are required to teach sex ed. And they get a warning from Ofsted if they don't. I can't find your quote anywhere on the internet, but this comes from Norfolk:

Is SRE Compulsory?

Sex Education has a compulsory element in all Key Stages within the National Curriculum Science Orders.

The

Government believes that SRE is an important part of young people's

education and it is a legal requirement that all maintained secondary

and special schools in England and Wales provide it.

Primary

schools do not have to provide SRE ouside (sic) the National Curriculum but

most schools do have a (sic) SRE programme embedded within their PSHE

programme.

All schools must provide an up-to-date policy that

describes the content and organisation of SRE provided outside the

National Curriculum or, in the case of a primary school that has opted

not to have an SRE programme, a policy statement outlining the school's

reasons for their decision.

http://www.norfolkesinet.org.uk/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=385

I don't know where your document comes from or what it refers to, but I assure you that the position in this document is the one to which all English schools adhere.

[Tresco]

I once had to look into all this once.

One thing that stayed in my mind was that the vast majority of children, when questioned, said they would prefer/or would have preferred to have been told everything about sex by their parents, or failing that, from school sex-ed lessons,

Yet another study revealed that the vast majority of children found out more, if not all they needed to know, (and some things they didn't) in the playground....

That was in 1989.  It's not that long ago.

[Mistral]

[quote user="SaligoBay"] Well, I have to say I was shocked to hear that sex education is done in French schools in 4ème.  That's the 13-14 year olds.  Isn't that a bit late?     [/quote]

To make things worse, a lot of SVT teachers prefer to teach it at the end of 4eme. Of course, if they leave it until June, then half the class won't be there (and probably the half that most needs it, although for them it is probably  too late)

I have one very difficult class of 4emes who have a particularly wet SVT teacher. She must be dreading the sex ed part of the curriculum.

As far as I know FGM is illegal in france. Probably under the mutilation laws. A couple of years back they prosecuted some families who had had it done to their daughters in france. They was talk of prosecuting families who took their children back to their countries to get it done. That would be good idea although difficult to impliment