The Sex Education Forum (SEF) responds to new report from the Christian Institute
9 March 2011
A new report from the Christian Institute,
released today (Wednesday 9 March 20011), is claiming 'sex
education materials are being pushed by public bodies for use in
schools with children as young as five'.
Lucy Emmerson from SEF, part of national children's
charity NCB comments:
'There is often misunderstanding about what exactly is included
in SRE at primary school. Learning should be appropriate to the age
and maturity of the child, for example with children aged 3-6
appropriate questions are 'where do babies come from' 'why are
girls' and boys' bodies different' and 'which parts of my body are
private'. Learning about friendships, families, and changing bodies
are also central to primary SRE. Good quality SRE must start in
primary school so that children can stay safe and be prepared for
growing up.
'We believe that all children and young people are entitled to
good quality sex and relationships education (SRE). SRE should be
built on year by year with involvement from both school and home.
Some schools have excellent SRE programmes in place, but children
and young people still tell us that in many cases SRE is too
little, too late. For example, some girls start their periods as
young as 8 years-old, but won't learn about them in school until
they are 10.'
'Partnership between schools and home is key to good SRE. Often
schools are afraid of parental reaction but the key is to have an
open dialogue with parents and carers. We know from our years of
experience and evidence gathering that the majority of parents
support SRE being taught both at home and school.'
Well chosen resources can enrich the teaching and learning of
SRE. In response to a considerable demand the Sex Education Forum
has published a set of SRE resource lists including a list for
primary schools and a list of books and resources for parents and
carers to use with their children. We advise schools to make their
own choices about which resources to use and do not endorse any of
the individual resources listed. We advise schools to always
consult with parents and about the resources they use. It is also
vital that teachers are confident about choosing and using
resources so we have produced a checklist for schools: Click
Here.
For more information on what is exactly meant by SRE for primary
school aged children visit:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/PDF/Resource%20List%20-%20Primary.pdf
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
1. The Sex Education Forum is the national
authority on sex and relationships education (SRE). We believe that
good quality SRE is an entitlement for all children and young
people and we are working with its 50 member organisations -
includingfaith, children's, parents,, health and education
organisations - to achieve this. For further information visit www.sexeducationforum.org.uk
2. NCB's mission is to advance the well-being
of all children and young people across every aspect of their
lives. As the leading national charity which supports
children, young people and families, and those who work with them,
across England and Northern Ireland, we focus on identifying and
communicating high impact, community and family-centred solutions.
We work with organisations from across the voluntary, statutory and
private sectors through our membership scheme and through the
sector-led specialist networks and partnership programmes that
operate under our charitable status.
For further information contact:
Anna Tombs/Carmen Dafner NCB Media Office
Tel: 020 7843 6045/6047 or 07721
097033
Email: media@ncb.org.uk