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Say yes to early sex education

The majority of primary teachers feel uncomfortable discussing the nitty-gritty of sex in class, but many agree that they should be delivering sex and relationships education to their pupils, according to a survey carried out in Tayside for the Scottish Executive.

Training delivered by Tayside Health Promotion to teachers in Angus, Dundee, and Perth and Kinross gave them greater confidence in delivering this part of the curriculum, but some remained unhappy about discussing homosexuality, contraception and oral sex with pupils. Others "tippexed out" the term 'clitoris' from resources because they believed primary school pupils did not need to know about a part of the body whose sole function was women’s sexual pleasure.

Most teachers said they would be happy to answer questions about homosexuality but would say little more than that it was a same-sex couple that loved each other. One headteacher banned this topic in the mistaken belief that the controversial Section 2A clause was still in force in Scotland, banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

Full story at Times Educational Supplement Scotland.