Gay sex to be described in school textbooks
Parents are outraged at a school guidebook which contains a chapter describing graphic details of gay sex.
The Daily Mail reports that a school pamphlet teaching children to ‘talk dirty’ and use cling film to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, is being used to provide sex education to students from 14 years old. It has already sold 60,000 copies.
The text is written in language and terms deemed more relevant to teenagers. It contains cartoons and expressions such as ‘duh!’ and tells young people, “There’s no accounting for taste. Not everyone likes oral sex. Not everyone likes ham and cheese sarnies either.”
Mother of two Jacqui Davies, found the guidebook in her son’s schoolbag, and has written to the head of his independent school to complain. She told the Daily Mail: “I was absolutely horrified. I had no idea this kind of material was being covered and speaking to other parents, neither were they.”
“The matey and flippant style sends such a mixed message. The majority of 14-year-olds are not having sex so why should they be made to read this stuff?”
The guidebook, which is aimed at pupils as young as 14, is used in numerous secondary schools in personal, social and health education lessons (PSHE.) It is not on a book list recommended to schools by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which gives guidelines on sex education.
But the Department of Health admitted schools are free to choose which literature to use.
Simon Cook, of Co-ordination Group Publications which produced the guide, said: “It discusses serious issues and gives sensible advice in an accessible style that young people can understand.”
A spokesman for the Government’s education department said it is up to head teachers to decide what is appropriate for PSHE lessons.
Will Nutland, Head of Health Promotion at the Terrence Higgins Trust suggested this is a positive resource for gay issues, he said: “Lesbian and gay young people are often excluded from sex and relationship education in schools, so we welcome this new study guide.”
“Many people are choosing to have sex younger and it’s vital that they get the education they need to protect themselves and their sexual health.”
Shadow Minister for Schools, Nick Gibb told PinkNews.co.uk:”It should be a matter for individual schools and their governors to decide what material is to be used in schools for sex education purposes, but they should act responsibly to ensure inappropriate material is not given to pupils, particularly younger children.”
“Parents should be given the fullest information about the school’s policy so they can take decisions over whether they wish their child to be exposed to more explicit resources such as these.”
Meanwhile the Terence Higgins Trust applauded the Government’s plans to make home testing for chlamydia available free of charge but suggests that similar tests for HIV, which is currently illegal in the UK, should be made available.
