Dr. Avnish Jolly :Government’s plan to implement compulsory sex education in primary school has countered by Parent Teacher Associations in Great Britain, with family campaigners claiming that the views and opinion of parents and teachers are being ignored.
Pressure Group, Family and Youth Concern expressed schools already have to have a sex education policy, but that policy must be developed in close consultation with parents, and schools must be sensitive to the wishes of parents. But the Family Planning Association want to take parents out of the equation and remove discretion from schools.
Government agencies argue the basic sex education that children receive in classes does not go far enough. It has been revealed that children as young as four are set to be given compulsory sex education in primary school classes.
According to The Mail online of Britain last week, Family Planning Association, Brook and the Sex Education Forum are recommending the introduction of compulsory lessons at primary school level. The report stressed it would bring sex and relationship education on to the curriculum alongside other compulsory subjects such as Maths and English.
Simon Blake, Brook Chief Executive said that all the evidence shows that if you start sex and relationships education early – before children start puberty, before they feel sexual attraction – they start having sex later.
Norman Wells, Director of the Pressure Group, Family and Youth Concern said that however, the recommendations have caused intolerance, with family campaigners claiming that the views of parents and teachers are being ignored and what this is really all about is the sex education establishments trying to force schools to do something many parents – and many teachers – are uncomfortable with.