The importance of sexual education in schools
Remember when you had to learn sex education in school? The first
time I was given instruction regarding sex education was through a video in
year 5. After that, there were no comments or discussion. The next time I had sex education was a few years later in high school. Learning
about sexuality is an important part of the curriculum for young people in
schools. Inadequate education can lead to risky behavior and could lead to
unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The rate of STIs are on the rise in Australia, and it seems to be correlated to the lack of sexual instruction received by students in schools. This needs to change. More instruction regarding this subject is required for students so that they are well informed.
Several large international organisations, such as the WHO (2008)
and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO;
Kirby and Ecker 2009), strongly advocate for sexuality education conversations
within schools, homes and in community settings. Comprehensive Sex Education
(CSE) programmes are designed to contribute to the overall well-being and
resilience of young people and are fundamental public health measures that are
consistent with the 2005 Millennium Development Goals (WHO 2008). It is
imperative that relevant and timely learning opportunities reach young people,
within a safe cultural and social context to assist them in healthy and
informed decision making (Ashcraft 2008; Parker et al. 2009).
I view this as a crucial issue because there has been an increased
prevalence in STIs in Australia. Many students are not exposed to CSE and in
turn, not making informed sexual decisions. I understand that this subject is
sensitive, but it is a something students need to know especially in our
society today. There have been many factors that have attributed to the lack of
CSE provided to students, the most prominent being that teachers “feared
backlash” from schools and parents or were not prepared to teach it. Dr Debbie Ollis, of Deakin University School of
Education, Victoria, said teachers should be ready to instruct students about
sexually transmitted infections, relationships, personal development and sexual
interaction by the time they had finished university. At Deakin University,
academics have developed a program to provide new teachers the skills to
conduct sexuality education with their students. In previous years, sexuality
education was an optional elective for aspiring health and physical education teachers,
but this year it had been made compulsory
Goldman (2010) supports the presence of sexuality education within
schools for four main reasons.
1. Children are reaching puberty at earlier ages
than previous generations and therefore, informing students ahead of physical
and psychological changes can better prepare them for the associated changes in
their lives.
2. The age of beginning sexual relationships has
not altered (generally between 15 and 19 years), the age for marriage-like
commitment in Australia has extended into the 20s and 30s (ABS 2009), thus this
15-year gap means that information about safer sexual behavior is imperative to
improve the overall sexual health of individuals.
3. The effectiveness of parents and carers as
primary sources of sexuality education varies and can be limited by individual
factors such as parental inhibitions, parental availability, communication
misunderstandings and a lack of knowledge by parents.
4. Schools have an obligation to foster
children’s overall development and to empower students to express values of
equity, dignity, respect, tolerance and degrees of resilience regarding their
sexual well being (DEECD 2010; Goldman 2010; Kirby and Ecker 2009).
There are also many benefits to having a CSE for students. Recent
research by Formby et al. (2010) suggests that young people who engage with
facilitators and the information presented to them within school-based
sexuality education demonstrate increased knowledge of sexual health life
skills. In addition, good quality sexuality education programmes have been
linked with numerous measurable outcomes, including: a delay in the initiation
of sex (Fullerton et al. 1997; Kirby 2007; Kirby and Ecker 2009; McKeon 2006;
Mueller, Gavin, and Kulkarni 2007); a reduction in the incidence of unprotected
sex (Kirby 2007; Kirby and Ecker 2009); a reduction in unwanted pregnancies
(Fullerton et al. 1997; Kirby 2007); a reduction in sexually transmitted
infection rates (Kirby 2007; Kirby and Ecker 2009); an increase in
contraceptive use (Fullerton et al. 1997; Kirby 2007; Kirby and Ecker 2009); a
reduction in sexual partner numbers (Formby et al. 2010; Kirby and Ecker 2009);
informed sexual decision making (Ashcraft 2008); and learning about
inequalities of race, class, sexuality and gender (Connell and Elliot 2009).
Sexual education is an important part of the development of
students, and it is imperative that they are informed about the issues and
risks related to sexual relationships. Society has had a high prevalence of STIs and
unwanted pregnancies I feel that exposing children and young adults to
comprehensive sex education would promote a more positive attitude towards sex,
potentially reduce unwanted pregnancies and STIs. Instead of protecting
children from the sensitive topic about the ‘birds and the bees’, implementing
a more informative method will have more positive impacts on both children and
society. Sex Education should be a mandate during school so that students make informed decisions in regards to their sex lives. Society is transforming. Amendments to the education standards of sex education should also be modified to suit the students in our society.
References
Bernadette Duffy , Nina Fotinatos , Amanda Smith & Jenene
Burke (2013), Puberty, health and sexual education in Australian regional
primary schools: Year 5 and 6 teacher perceptions, Sex Education:
Sexuality, Society and Learning, 13:2, 186-203
24 February 2013, STDs on rise in WA, call to make sex education
compulsory, news.com.au, retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/national/stds-on-rise-in-wa-call-to-make-sex-education-compulsory/story-e6frfkp9-1226584545080
Shepherd, Tory, 21
November 2012, Poor sex education leaves some children clueless about the birds
and the bees, news.com.au, retrieved
from http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/sex-education-is-patchy-across-the-nation-leaving-some-children-clueless-about-the-birds-and-the-bees/story-fnet0gt3-1226520648638
May 9 2013, Sex
education a must for university physical education and health teachers, news.com.au, retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/national/sex-education-a-must-for-university-physical-education-and-health-teachers/story-e6frfkp9-1226638863109
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