Vox Pop: Should boys and girls be separated for sex education?
Monday, May 10, 2010
Knowsley Council is considering teaching boys and girls sex education separately in a bid to cut the area's high teen pregnancy rates.
YES: Simon Blake, national director, Brook
But only sometimes as part of a package of high-quality sex and relationships education (SRE) - we cannot go back to the days where girls went for "the talk" while boys did sport.
At Brook, boys and girls tell us they want time together and time alone. SRE must be guided by young people's views about what they want to learn and how, as well as evidence about what works.
There are often assumptions that certain issues are either for boys or just for girls, but it is common sense that everyone must understand issues that will affect one or both genders as well as be able to communicate with each other.
NO: Dr John Lloyd, policy adviser, PSHE Association
The PSHE Association believes that sex education is best delivered within a broader sex and relationships programme of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education to mixed-sex groups.
The reason why young people can feel uncomfortable is that too little sex and relationships education is done too late in young people's lives by teachers who are often lacking in training.
However, single-sex groups may be appropriate where faith and cultural views require it and essential if it ensures that all young people receive their entitlement to this important aspect of their lives.
YES: Lucy Emmerson, principal officer, Sex Education Forum
Single-sex lessons can make girls and boys feel freer to talk openly about some sex and relationships topics. Ask children and young people which, if any, lessons they want to be separate and discuss it with parents and carers too.
It is important in some faiths that discussions about sex are in single-sex groups. Bring the whole group back together after single-sex work and help pupils to share some of their learning from the single-sex sessions, as it is vital that girls and boys learn to communicate with each other about sex and relationships too.
NO: Gareth Davies, young leaders project manager, Terrence Higgins Trust
It's good to see that Knowsley Council is improving access to contraception and supporting parents to speak confidently to their children about sex. But whether segregated lessons are effective in the long run needs further exploring.
In our experience, working together in a safe and supportive environment, young men and women learn a great deal from each other, including how to communicate effectively about relationships and sex.
What matters most is the skill of the teacher, the quality of the lesson and young people feeling able to discuss issues and ask questions without embarrassment.