Sex education plans: too much, too young

Plans to extend sex lessons to primary schools would undermine parents and damage children’s wellbeing, The Christian Institute says.

In July a report by The Mental Health Foundation and Girlguiding UK concluded that “premature sexualisation and pressure to grow up too quickly” is affecting young girls’ mental health.

Last month a sexual health group, the FPA, launched a sex comic which asked children aged six and seven to identify correctly the vagina and testicles on a picture of a naked girl and boy.

Another sex education resource produced by Channel 4 Learning asked five-year-olds to point out the clitoris.

This week, columnist Ross Clark wrote in The Times that too much sex education simply gives youngsters the impression that they are expected to be engaging in early sexual activity.

Mike Judge, Head of Communications at The Christian Institute, said: “Secondary schools already provide sex education. Extending this to primary schools is a step too far. It will undermine parents as they face the difficult job of bringing up their children.

“The best people to teach children about sex and relationships are their parents. In a culture that is obsessed with sex, schools should be one place where children are allowed to get on with life without facing pressure to deal with things they aren’t ready for.”