[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9WEnDXdRhY[/youtube]

Nice video. The amendment is disturbing. I think that if churches want to have their say on sex education it should be done in the normal processes of that religion rather than spilling over into a school where a sizeable proportion of students' parents do not share the faith or values being presented to them. I suppose a rational sex education is probably even more important for children who's parents do have that faith is even more important as it may be the only shot they have at getting objective information about sex.

The government shouldn't even be funding these schools, but since it is it should be able to tell the people who support this amendment to fuck off. We have enough problems with teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in this country, and that strain should not be added to by a load of sexually repressed priests. The idea that you can teach abstinence successfully to the current teenage generation is laughable.

Its very worrying. I've laid the foundations for mine already and will always answer questions honestly in an attempt to keep sex taboo-free. The 4 yr old is curious about everything, she already knows that animals/people create babies by the male putting the penis in the females vagina, that a sperm and egg meet and a baby develops, that sometimes people of the same sex love each other - just honest, basic answers to inevitable questions. Its sad to think there'll be kids leaving school so unprepared and naive.

Millefleur:

Your policy with regard to sex education would strike a lot of people as "spoiling her innocence". Somehow people have this idea that if you don't tell kids about sex, they'll never, ever get the idea to try it before marrying at the proper, mature age of 35. This despite evidence of premarital sex being abundant all the way back to when humans started to write.

I really prefer "spoiling" a child's innocence, since at least they'll know what people were trying to do to them and we can skip the bit with the doll. And when they themselves want to try it, at least they won't try it stupidly and dangerously in ways which would leave them ill, dead or with a baby they might not survive giving birth to.

I never really understood how ignorance benefits the ignorant individual, though I've got a few hypotheses about how it benefits people trying to lord over them.

Tatertail, I think most of the parents at my daughters school would think that, but we've had many pregnancies/births amongst friends and family and also keep pets (I breed chickens) so being the curious little munchkin that she is she's asked where babies come from, how they've got there, and (off her own back) how her friends with two mummies came to be without the necessary penises so I've opted for honesty.

I expect she'll be far more knowledgeable of the subject of sex and reproduction then her friends by the time she hits secondary school, she's one of those children who's vocabulary consists mainly of why, how, why, when, why, what, why.. etc but she's like that with all aspects of nature, it fascinates her. I see no reason not to answer honestly whether its the ins and outs of sex or why the dinosaurs are dead, if she wants the answer and I can provide it then she'll get it. Like you say better to spoil her innocence and arm her with knowledge, right?

Without divulging enough personal experience to get me told off by the mods (hopefully), I lost my virginity far too young but at least had the benefit of a decent education, knowledge of condoms and a steady relationship. I'd rather my daughters never labelled sex as taboo or mysterious and were as honest and open with me when the time comes and hopefully use my crappy anti-climax of an experience to put it off til a reasonable age and, most importantly, do it safely.

Anyway, they're still innocent, reproductive organs are just functional body parts, no need to attach filth and sin to them. The only points I (subtly) emphasise is that grown-ups have sex with each other and make babies and that children keep their private parts to themselves.

Irish sex ed:
1) In.
2) Out.
3) Repeat if necessary.

The old canard that sex ed leads to promiscuious behaviour among teenagers, is contradicted by the fact that teen pregnancies (and abortions) are more common in countries with little or no sex ed. Also, well conducted sex ed is a necessary counter to the image of sex that is available on porn sites on the Net.

Disturbing, to say the least. We never mixed up faith and sex ed in school, thank goodness for that. Although, I just recently heard on the news that there is going to be some big assembly for Christian youths, where they "learn" about sex, which can be summed up in that clip, I believe. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry when I saw it on the news.