Background Information
The programme first focuses on sex and relationships education provision in two UK schools, one primary and one secondary school. There are interviews with the headmasters of each school to determine why they believe good SRE is so important and to explore some of the challenges that each school faces in delivering SRE, including lack of Government guidance and legislation and fears of the reactions from parents and the media.
Sex and relationships education is compulsory in all Dutch secondary schools and practised in primary schools. The Netherlands has a teen pregnancy rate five times lower than the UK. Davina travels to the Netherlands to find out why the Dutch system works so well. She is accompanied by four pupils from the UK, two Head Teachers and one assistant Head Teacher.
The group observe SRE lessons for primary and secondary age pupils, the young people visit a youth club that provides young people with information on sex and relationships and the teachers meet with Dutch parents to hear how they view the type of SRE their children receive.
What is sex and relationships education?
Sex and relationships education is often shied away from, labelled as embarrassing and difficult to discuss and teach. Perhaps part of the problem is to do with a misunderstanding of what SRE actually is and addressing this issue can also help to determine what is delivered and when.
A useful way of trying to understand SRE and what topics should be covered is to think about sex education in a broader context of sex and relationship education. Thinking of what is required for a positive relationship to develop will help uncover the types of issues that could be covered in a good SRE programme. These could include issues such as respect, responsibility, building self-esteem, understanding, good communication and diversity. SRE should provide information and provide young people with an opportunity to explore attitudes, values and beliefs and develop skills that can all impact on behaviour.
Information: this must be age-appropriate and deal with how the body works, contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
Attitudes, beliefs and values: young people need to be given an opportunity to explore and clarify their own and others' values and attitudes and consider how these affect behaviour.
Skills: making informed choices and conveying these means that it is essential that young people have the necessary social, communication and assertiveness skills.
Parents' attitude to sex and relationships education
Many schools are afraid of the reaction of parents to sex and relationships education programmes. Research has shown that many parents are supportive of good SRE in schools. One study found that 94 per cent of parents wanted schools to teach SRE to their children. It appears then that the fears of many teachers of 'what will parents say' are unfounded. Even among ethnic minority parents, there was no group in which a majority opposed school SRE1.
Parents have a considerable role to play in the provision of SRE. We are all born as sexual beings and quickly learn from our parents' attitudes and behaviour about sexuality. Parents can play and important part in supporting their children in the process of SRE.
Research has shown that parents want to be consulted and to work in partnership with schools1. They may also wish to receive specific guidance on how to talk about sexual matters with their children1. In short the provision of SRE in any setting should complement, rather than negate, parental responsibility.
References
1. Health Education Authority. Parents, schools and sex education: a compelling case for partnership. London: health education authority, 1995
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