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Institute
Update Issue 2 - May 2002
Ban on extreme sex lessons spreads
A fourth Scottish council has decided to ban the controversial sex lessons backed by the Scottish Executive.
Renfrewshire Council has banned Taking Sex Seriously and The Primary Schools Sex and Relationships Education Pack after consulting with parents and education experts.
The packs contain extreme lessons including condom-buying homework, discussion of group sex and discussion of anal intercourse.
The Council has taken the measure because of the “inappropriate nature of some of the materials, the inappropriate recommended age for materials and the concerns about suggested homework exercises.”
The issue hit the headlines in Renfrewshire when local Christian Institute supporters responded to the Institute’s call to collect signatures for a nation-wide petition.
The petition was organised by Church of Scotland Minister Revd Iain Murdoch, from Wishaw. It asked the Scottish Parliament to tell the Executive to stop backing the resources.
Institute supporter, May McDonald, and others collected over 1,000 signatures in the Renfrewshire area.
Their actions led directly to a front page report in their local paper, The Paisley Daily Express (24 September 2001).
Mrs McDonald said: “I am extremely concerned by the explicit resources recommended by the Scottish Executive for sex education in schools. ...It is my belief this material will do immense harm and may encourage youngsters towards a promiscuous lifestyle.”
Stephen McKenzie, Head of Quality and Service Development at Renfrewshire Council, said: “We did this because we want to make sure we get it right and meet our aim of helping schools deliver sex education in a context which values stable relationships, healthy living and personal responsibility...”
Renfrewshire’s ban puts more pressure on the Scottish Executive to withdraw its backing of these and other controversial resources – including two drugs education packs.
At the beginning of this year, the Scottish Daily Mail reported that the Executive will dump the teaching packs when the list is re-published later this year.
However, there is not yet any official confirmation of this.
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Ban on extreme sex lessons spreads
A fourth Scottish council has decided to ban the controversial sex lessons backed by the Scottish Executive.
Renfrewshire Council has banned Taking Sex Seriously and The Primary Schools Sex and Relationships Education Pack after consulting with parents and education experts.
The packs contain extreme lessons including condom-buying homework, discussion of group sex and discussion of anal intercourse.
The Council has taken the measure because of the “inappropriate nature of some of the materials, the inappropriate recommended age for materials and the concerns about suggested homework exercises.”
The issue hit the headlines in Renfrewshire when local Christian Institute supporters responded to the Institute’s call to collect signatures for a nation-wide petition.
The petition was organised by Church of Scotland Minister Revd Iain Murdoch, from Wishaw. It asked the Scottish Parliament to tell the Executive to stop backing the resources.
Institute supporter, May McDonald, and others collected over 1,000 signatures in the Renfrewshire area.
Their actions led directly to a front page report in their local paper, The Paisley Daily Express (24 September 2001).
Mrs McDonald said: “I am extremely concerned by the explicit resources recommended by the Scottish Executive for sex education in schools. ...It is my belief this material will do immense harm and may encourage youngsters towards a promiscuous lifestyle.”
Stephen McKenzie, Head of Quality and Service Development at Renfrewshire Council, said: “We did this because we want to make sure we get it right and meet our aim of helping schools deliver sex education in a context which values stable relationships, healthy living and personal responsibility...”
Renfrewshire’s ban puts more pressure on the Scottish Executive to withdraw its backing of these and other controversial resources – including two drugs education packs.
At the beginning of this year, the Scottish Daily Mail reported that the Executive will dump the teaching packs when the list is re-published later this year.
However, there is not yet any official confirmation of this.
Back to Contents
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