Alice O'Brian will be leading our discussion on sex education this month.
Sex Education has been a taboo subject for centuries, but it is still ingrained in today's culture. In this month’s meeting, we will examine present-day Sex Education and its history, as well as the upcoming changes which will take effect in September 2026.
We will discuss the ethics behind Sex Education and the moral duty behind adequate sex education. Whether it is ethical to withhold or limit certain information, such as information on contraception, sexual orientation, and consent based on age or whether it is better to provide comprehensive education to allow young people to make their own informed choices.
There is often tension between the rights of parents to control what their children are taught and the rights of children to access information that can protect their health and well-being. Some parents may object to certain aspects of sex education, such as discussions of sexual orientation, contraception, and pre-marital sex which raises questions about whether children's rights to access relevant, fact-based information should override parental preferences. Should parents have the right to take their children out of sex education?
A key ethical principle in sex education is to prevent harm and promote the well-being of students. Ethical sex education should aim to equip young people with the knowledge to make healthy, informed decisions about relationships and sexuality, which in turn can help reduce rates of sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, and instances of abuse or exploitation.
Ethical sex education aims to strike a balance between providing accurate, comprehensive, and inclusive information and respecting the rights, values, and cultural beliefs of individuals, families, and communities. The challenge lies in addressing students' diverse needs while ensuring that education is both responsible and responsive to their developmental stages.
Sex Education did not become compulsory and part of the national curriculum until 2020. Before this date, any sex education given in schools was down to the discretion and knowledge of teachers. Therefore, the quality varied drastically between schools, and many did not give adequate education owing to fear of complaints and lack of backup and support from the governing school bodies.
So... what kind of sex education did you experience at school and at home? What sex education did your own children receive? How much discretion should parents have over withdrawing their children? And what do you think the content of the lessons should be?
An additional point for discussion is the relationship between church and state and whether the church has slowed progress in the provision of good quality sex education.
Lots to discuss! Come along and tell us what you think?
MORE... Here is an account of the development of education since 1850 written by Alice. It provides a good overview of the changes in education policy and how we have got to where we are today.
