Jigsaw mentioning surrogacy to Year 5

It actually reminds me of how I was taught the ‘facts of life.’

When two people love each other very much, they get married and then...

Marriage and surrogacy describe the legal status of the people involved and what rights they have. Very different to the mechanics of how a woman gets pregnant.

I make no secret of being strongly anti-surrogacy in all forms on here and I'm amazed that this is being 'taught' as I'm another who doesn't think children need to be taught anything beyond the vague mechanics of conception. Are they taught about miscarriage and morning sickness? It's all a bit too detailed for me.

the sperm fertilises the egg in most cases

Not most, all. There is only one way for a human egg to be fertilised, and that's with sperm, whether it's in a petri dish or not. I find this slightly veering toward queer theory and let's face it surrogacy is for straight couples and gay men.

I would ask if they are going to discuss at all they have to put in in terms of it being a humans rights violation (otherwise is it 'extreme' and 'political' and against statutory guidance?) and exploitative and as that is very central to surrogacy, currently and historically,they are 'editing out' those essential parts and taking it out of context. I would argue that by presenting it as a woman helping an infertile couple buy using her own reproductive system rather than framing it as the commodification of women and babies, they will have to provide that context elsewhere in a lesson about human rights. Otherwise it's not balanced and that is another point under DoE guidance.

Another problem for me is the age of these children with this subject. We are not talking about teenagers who can argue whether it's right or not, and put it into a moral framework. 9-10 is still really quite young to be presenting moral dilemmas and they aren't doing that, it is being done as a fluffy kind of alternative to making a family without the real truth.

Interestingly they don't mention they adoption and fostering which is far more likely to be the case for families of the children in the class/school. Do they cover egg and sperm donation too?

I would have a real problem with this and it is absolutely in connection with gender identity and same-sex (yes thankfully not same-gender) attracted acceptance teaching.

Babies are not made by surrogacy. They are made through sex, artificial insemination or IVF.

Adding surrogacy to the list makes the pregnant woman into a method.

Refreshing at least to see same-sex relationships referenced, as opposed to Stonewall same-gender crap. When it comes to biology and procreating, they seem to realise that sex actually matters.

But the different types of families, including adoption and fostering, for example, and single parents, and children living with grandparents, and two mummies etc. will have been talked about much earlier in schol. This isn't about families, it is about how babies are made. Babies are not made by adoption.

I am not convinced that “how babies are made”needs to go beyond the basics at this age.

Really discussion of and information about fertility treatments and surrogacy for creating a family seems like something more for secondary school. Where the ethics and science might be explored in more detail.

It could be confusing and too much information for year 5. Adoption is more relevant and maybe easier to understand/explain again only the basics, no need to go deeply into the reasons why children are adopted. As you say, many children know that they are adopted at this age. I also know of quite a few adopted children in my community as PP mentioned. None from birth, I am in the UK, the youngest at adoption was 6 months, most were toddlers or just a little older than that.

Me too, it's such a minefield of a job!!!

Just surprised that Year 5 are taught about it.

It's not specifically taught, just referenced as one of many options.

There was a thread about jigsaw in general recently, a few weeks ago I think. They're the big provider of RSE in my area so I'm keeping my eye on them as well.

I absolutely hate surrogacy and wish it was illegal, but the reality is that some children are born that way. I think as long as its mentioned neutrally, as in not "this wonderful selfless vessel gave the greatest gift of joy to the poor infertile/gay couple, yay the kindness of the noble womb haver" which is clearly promoting it as a choice to young girls, then it's OK to mention it. And as much as I hate surrogacy I also wouldn't support the message "this is always an act of exploitation and a half step above child trafficking for the needs of selfish misogynists who don't see women as human" being given out in school. I actually think that's more or less true, but its still a terrible thing for a child born that way to hear. The only thing to do about subjects that are legal and relevent but also highly controversial, political, and entwined with a child's sense of family and identity, is to present the fact of that subjects existence neutrally, until the children are old enough for it to be the subject of a debate class (in my opinion).

It's listed before IVF not because of a priority order, but because it reads better to have something that needs brackets at the end of the list. Presumably adoption and fostering isn't mentioned because this is about how conception takes place, not how people become families.

I think it's fair to include it in the discussion, and it does also make clear that the teacher takes their cue from the situation at the time so gives leeway for not hammering in appropriate messages.

Don’t see the issue, you may well have children in the class who were born by surrogate.