Synopsis

00.00–01.23
Introduction – background information on teenage pregnancy and STIs in UK and re-cap on what was covered in Programme 1.

01.23–02.54
Interviews with the general public in busy shopping area of Guildford to hear their personal experiences of sex education. The general view is that sex education is usually too little, too late.

02.54–04.38
Davina looks at the current government legislation governing the delivery of sex and relationships education in UK schools. SRE in UK schools tends to focus on the biology of reproduction and not the broader issues of sex and relationships. The only compulsory element in secondary school is the delivery of one biology lesson on reproduction. The Government have produced further guidance on sex and relationships but this is only guidance and it's left to individual schools to decide what they will deliver without offending religious groups and parents.

04.38–07.15
Interview with Head Teacher of Nottinghamshire secondary school, Dave Harris, about the challenges of delivering SRE in secondary school. Dave says he needs clearer guidance from the government on what should be taught.

We see part of the statutory biology lesson on reproduction and Davina questions how young people can actually relate this clinical lesson to their own bodies and to relationships.

Head Teacher Dave Harris recognises that more needs to be done and has introduced extra lessons on contraception and sexually transmitted infections in his school.

07.15–11.17
Interview with four pupils Adam, Bobbie, Ben and Sophie from the Nottinghamshire secondary school to find out their views on the sex and relationships education that is being provided and discuss other topics that they believe should be included. The pupils all agree they do not get enough sex and relationships education and the education they do receive tends to focus on the dangers of sex. They would like to see more information about feelings and relationships.

Interview with Head Teacher who admits that there is room for improvement on the sex and relationships education they are providing. He discusses the challenges of providing effective SRE within schools, including poor leadership from Government on what should be provided and the reaction of parents, governors and the media.

11.17–18.35
Visit to a primary school in Yorkshire to meet Head Teacher Ralph Jagger who wants to provide sex and relationships education lessons to children as young as six.

Davina discusses the problem with our reaction of shock at hearing that children as young as six are going to be given SRE lessons. This may have something to do with our narrow definition of sex education.

In primary school the only thing that schools are legally required to teach is a lesson on puberty. Ralph Jagger discusses the problems that he sees within his community, such as high rates of teenage pregnancy, and he explains that children are undergoing physical changes at a much earlier age and determines that he wants to take SRE provision in his school further. At the same time he recognises that he has to work with parents.

Interview with Anna Martinez, expert in the field of SRE. Anna explains that countries such as the Netherlands, which have good SRE programmes supported by good sexual health services, have some of the lowest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe. Anna suggests this is all down to good SRE, which focuses on the emotional and social context for sex education whereas in Britain we focus simply on reproduction.

18.35–25.00
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 Nottinghamshire secondary, Head Teacher Dave Harris and his Assistant Head and Primary Head Teacher, Ralph Jagger from Yorkshire.

Sex and relationships education is compulsory in all Dutch secondary schools and is practised in primary schools.

The group visits a secondary school and meet with a school sex educationalist and sex education psychologist who explains that in general sexuality is something that belongs to everyday life in the Netherlands.

The group sit in on an SRE lesson for 13-year-old Dutch school children and watch a sex education video.

25.00–37.00
Interview with four British pupils and Head Teachers to discuss their reactions to a Dutch sex education lesson for 13 year olds. All seemed surprised and shocked at the information that young people were being given.

Davina and the four British pupils visit a Dutch youth club where young people can go for information on sex and relationships. The young people take part in activities at the youth club including quizzes and condom demonstrations.

The British Head Teachers meet with Dutch parents to discuss the sex and relationships education that their children receive. The parents are fully aware of what is being taught and do not believe that this in any way encourages their children to have sex.

37.00–41.17
The British Head Teachers visit a Dutch primary school to observe an SRE lesson for six year olds.

Interview with the four British pupils again to assess whether their opinions have changed about how the Dutch deal with sex education. The pupils have observed that Dutch school children seem more mature in their response to SRE lessons and now believe that Britain could learn from the Netherlands.

41.17–48.03
The British teachers observe a standard lesson to a class of 11-year-old Dutch primary school children on contraception and safer sex. The lesson includes condom demonstrations. The British teachers admit that the knowledge of the Dutch pupils about contraception is extremely good and recognise that this is due to the teaching of SRE from an early age.

Introduction to what will be covered in the next programme and conclusion that in Britain there is a lack of strong government leadership, which leaves teachers feeling that they are being left to deal with the media and parents on their own.