Wales primary the sex education experiment

[justasking111]

Now Wales has been ahead with some things, kudos to that. But sex education in primaries, masturbation at nine, advice from the WHO . Parents not allowed to know the content of lessons. It's out of hand now IMO. Are the staff of primaries happy with this.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/wales-sex-education-plans-court-23776923

gov.wales/curriculum-wales-relationships-and-sexuality-education-rse-code

I feel we're being bamboozled into this

YABU dinosaur thinking

YANBU primary is too early

@kelsie2878 what specifically in that curriculum is relevant to what the youtube account you've linked to is saying?

As an aside to others if you don't want to give clicks/money to right wing reactionaries don't click on it.

Yeah, I won't be clicking on the Christian fundie nutjob channel, thanks.

I'm going off the wales.gov document linked to in the OP and would like @kelsie2878 to tell me what they find objectionable about it.

YABU dinosaur thinking. The earlier children learn about sex, their bodies, pregnancy, contraception, the better.

🦕🦖🦕🦖

@NippyWoowoo

*In what decade?

All the info on Google seems to disagree with you*

So condescending towards what I say because Google told you differently... Seriously?

So for people who actually would like to know how it works in the Netherlands, there are guidelines from the Government roughly what is stated in the image Nippywoowoo provided. These are guidelines, not mandatory and nobody checks what schools do. I am sure there are some liberal schools in Amsterdam where the Dutch elite live that follow these guidelines, but all schools I know for my kids, family kids and friends kids do not.

Age 3 to 7 it is all about what is your family and where do you come from and other kids have other families and come from somewhere else and isn't that brilliant. And also mums and dads love each other and then there are babies. Also the flutters when you like someone.
Then from age 9 onwards a bit of biology, the basics the kids all already know because the parents told them. I know I went through the period talks with both my girls myself.
Then yes, sex ed in secondary school.

So guidelines, not enforced, not mandated, not followed. As if Dutch parents would allow the government to dictate something like this. The Dutch don't even trust the weather app when it comes to rain predictions, let alone our government when it comes to the raising of kids.

Why are teen pregnancies so low? A culture of open communication between parents and children, free conception like birth control pills, good college and university education possibilities and a mentality that you first get a degree or learn a trade, travel, then settle down, then have kids. That is why average age of first time mums here is nearly 30.

I was a bit twitchy last year when my 6yo twins did d similar class. For weeks there was much chat of vulvas and vaginas. For examples she kicked me in the vagina. No I didn’t. Yes you did. Vagina is the inside bit I kicked you in the vulva. Muuummm she kicked me in the vulva. Bonus points for loud voices in supermarket.

Im sure it’s better for children to know proper names rather than twee euphemisms though so best just to suck it up.

I do live in Wales. Why would you think I don't

Because you were talking on another thread about living in Leeds for 3 years and then moving to West Yorkshire or something like that?

But okay so you are Welsh. Still doesn't explain all the other points people have raised on the thread.

I seem to recall OP does live in Wales and was very excessively worried about sending her DC to school there because every lesson would be about sex. Or something.

While you're here again, what exactly is it that you find objectionable in the wales.gov document that you linked to?

To be clear @justasking111 I am not troll hunting. I believe that you live in Wales because you are clearly very concerned about Welsh education. I just went to look for your thread because I thought I had confused usernames from a thread I read recently and I was right that you said/implied that you were in England.

I am assuming that you were posting on behalf of a friend, family member, I'm mostly putting this up to prove that I am not going mad and confusing two people!

It is interesting though that the only question you have been quick to answer is where you live. Not specifically what is wrong with the document.

You said: My kids were in Dutch schools, if you think at age 3 or 7 they are taught about body parts and reproduction at school you are misinformed.

You then said: mums and dads love each other and then there are babies. Also the flutters when you like someone. (So, ‘relationships’ as stated in the Google snapshot).
Then from age 9 onwards a bit of biology, the basics the kids all already know because the parents told them. (Could this be the part in the Google snapshot referring to body parts?) I know I went through the period talks with both my girls myself. (So, ‘reproduction’, despite your earlier claim, as periods are part of the reproductive system)

Concerned about the steps being taken to tinker with Welsh education. They want all schools to move over to reach in the medium of Welsh. So we get teachers who can speak Welsh bad and indifferent. English speakers need not apply.

Because there's talk of reducing the importance of exams. GCSE and a level. How will UCAS place Welsh results, ditto universities.

nation.cymru/news/a-level-exam-results-wales/

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/welsh-language-schools-wales-government-24646865

It was for a family member I was asking about Yorkshire post university.

Sorry I'm just out of hospital, still full of drugs with one eye so my spelling and posts maybe sparse

OP there is absolutely no move to have all schools teach through the medium of Welsh - that is utter rubbish.

So I'm Welsh, living in Wales with a primary aged school child.

Wales historically has one of the worst teenage pregnancy statistics, studies have shown that teaching sex education earlier reduces the "teenage pregnancy statistics"

I've no issue at all with my child understanding the biology of sex, intercourse, reproduction and so on.

It's a biological fact. It's not going to scar them or traumatise them at all 🤷🏻‍♀️

It is literally part of life, and sadly due to society sex is becoming a thing earlier and earlier, so might as well get ahead of the curve in a safe, mature learning environment than have a confused and worried 11 year old.

From your first link:

But Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Children and Young people, Heledd Fychan MS added that they believed that there were better ways of measuring students’ abilities than exams.
“Congratulations to everyone who received their A Level results today,” she said. “It’s fair to say that all learners have faced all kinds of challenges due to Covid, and have done their best under difficult circumstances.
“Plaid Cymru continues to question whether sitting exams is the best way to measure young people’s abilities and attainments.
“We believe it is time to explore putting greater emphasis on continuous assessment rather than examinations.”

I mean this seems a reasonable point in principal, we used to have much more coursework when I was younger and we were less reliant on the final exam for our marks. I've read tons of stories about children expected to do well in this years A levels who performed badly on the day. Continuous assessments could suit children better, it depends on how they are planning on doing them.

Its also worth pointing out that this is Plaid Cymru calling for this, they are not currently the government in charge of the Sennedd, labour are. So this is like panicking something is going to change in the UK because of something a Lib Dem MP spokesperson said.

From your second link, again some even more random group has called for all schools in welsh to be welsh medium schools. However the actual sennedd has said:

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The success of Cymraeg 2050 demands far-reaching changes and actions, and we’re committed to helping guide our schools and workforce along the path towards more Welsh language provision.
“Cymraeg is at the heart of our new curriculum, which sets out clear Welsh language development progression steps for learners, including English-medium schools.

Which indicates they want better welsh education in wales, and have commissioned a study to look into this, , even in English medium schools, which is not the same as wanting to change English medium schools to welsh medium schools. The only thing they have done is launch a ten year plan to get more welsh teachers trained because there is a lack of them.

Have you considered moving to England if you are that concerned about welsh education and your children having to learn welsh?

I think expanding the teaching of and in Welsh is important - too many languages are dying.

But your OP was about sex education so do please answer our question: what is it in the .gov document you linked to that you find objectionable?

Regarding the Welsh language, of which I am a fluent speaker.

English medium schools will continue, majority of lessons will be in English so don't panic. There will just be more introduction of the Welsh language in primary. Things like songs, games and activities.

Welsh medium schools will continue to teach in Welsh, with the introduction of the English language as they always have done.

At the end of the day Wales, has its own language, a protected language, one of the most ancient languages still alive on earth. Part of Welsh culture is our language, our history.

If you don't want your child to learn any Welsh, that's fine, you don't need to go out of your way to nurture it in the house, but surely common sense would dictate that the government run schools would introduce it's protected by government legislation language 😳

They will literally just learn the odd song, how to say their name, and that they like to play football or something. Main curriculum will remain in English.

With regards to the Welsh baccalaureate, it will receive its own weighting equal to UCAS points. So no worries there.

It doesn't actually say anything of the sort though, does it? You absolute cabbage.

gosh you really seem on a mission to hate anything welsh! The learning of a second language is an amazing skill to have and absolutely vital when you live in the country where that language is spoken. I took welsh to Gcse, we live in an area with a welsh language primary school and both dc are fluent, they both went to a secondary school with a welsh and English stream. It has had no detrimental effects on them at all. In fact it helped them learn a third language when they went to secondary school. Honestly I suggest you move.

Indeed. OP doesn't need a passport to move over the bridge....

Regarding reducing the importance of exams, that's no bad thing, and England should follow suit. Far, far too much pressure and emphasis is put on the 2/3/4 hour papers sat on one day, and not on the 2/3 years coursework and learning students have achieved. If a student is having an off day, feeling ill, or just has a brain blank in those couple of hours, they're screwed. It doesn't matter how much they've actually learnt over the previous years, they've basically failed in that subject. Our current government is only interested in kids spending half their education sat in exam halls. If you have teenagers you'll understand the immense pressure that's been ramped up regarding exams and results in recent years.

Well

www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/welsh-medium-school-pupils-underperform-in-tests-despite-more-advantaged-backgrounds

Parents should be able to see every curriculum/syllabus/Scheme of work which their children are being taught.

It's part of the fundamental balance of power, that it's ultimately parents who get to choose what is best for their children.

@FriedasCarLoad how far do you want that to go? Because if parents start demanding to see every lesson plan for every lesson, we won't have any teachers left. The curriculum is accessible to everyone, as evidenced by OP's posting the link to the Welsh SRE curriculum. It's also not difficult to look at the websites for the various exam providers to see what has to be taught for each subject.

Anything beyond that is just parents micromanaging schools.

I'm in favour of a system that doesn't rely 100% on exams, because I come from such a system. When I did my A levels in the Netherlands, half my mark was from a mix of coursework (one shot coursework, you handed it in and no changes/reviews!) and internally set and moderated exams (cross validated by other schools where the teacher did not know you) and the other half was from central exams (in the Netherlands there is only one state run exam board so everyone sit the same papers everywhere).

Coursework really teaches skills you need in further education and the workplace and abandoning it was a bad idea.