Parents lose right of withdrawal of their children from Sex and Relationship Education once they reach 15.

[Thandeka]

Please discuss your reactions to this news as I would be very interested to read them.

Personally I think this is a great thing but then I am biased as I work in young people's sexual health.

P.S "Parental opt out" is a much better word sorry as "withdrawal isn't necessarily a good word to use in relation to sex ed- hehe!

MIFLAW I think you would consider anyone who doesn't agree with you insane.

MIFLAW - I think we'll just have to agree to differ on this one.

I remain perplexed by the way you seem to positively embrace the withdrawal of rights from parents in favour of the state. Because this is what is happening here - it isn't a new right being granted, it's an existing right being removed. Even if you think it is a good idea in this particular instance, can't you see the inherent dangers? Who knows what parties may come to power in the future? BNP? And when children are indoctrinated with all the rubbish about miscegenation and so on... will you still think the State knows best?

Full text of article 2, for your information:

"No person shall be denied a right to an education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions. "

Still, how lucky we are to have finally reached that level of educational nirvana when all children leave school at the age of 16 fully literate and numerate and well-informed about a wide range of topics and issues! The State does such a good job at teaching the basics, it's obviously going to be the ideal choice for teaching SRE to children and teenagers....

MIFLAW I can't be bothered to go back over these pages to see who said what and when but I really doubt I'd share your views.

If my children go to any collective act of worship then it's had no impact on them as they don't seem to think their school has one. I have more important things to be concerned about.

Scarlet

Re full text

"In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions."

You do have that right to "ensure" - the syllabus is not secret and, if you decide you don't like it, you also have the right to withdraw your child from State education.

I am "in favour of withdrawing rights" because this should never have been a right in the first place. The most dominant the State has ever been in this country is when the State was tightly controlled by the Church. Anything which further weakens this ridiculous bond is potentially a very good thing.

Seeing that we're talking about principles, and not facts, how do you feel about the dangerous precedent set by the State in removing the right for parents to beat their children, the right for husbands to rape their wives, the right of parents and employers to put children to work at the age of 10 or even 5, and the right of publicans to serve intoxicating liquor to children? Are these also rights we should be sorry to see the back of?

Juuule - sorry to disappoint you, but, much as I disagree with Scarlet, I don't think she is insane.

That's because she's not proposing a utopia reminiscent of the Khmer Rouge's Year Zero as an alternative to compulsory sex ed.

I meant that, say, 100 years ago, the right to beat children - ie with a belt or stick - was thoroughly enshrined.

No one complains about that valuable right being stolen by the state, yet apparently this is a principle we should all live and die for.

"The most dominant the State has ever been in this country is when the State was tightly controlled by the Church."

Which particular stage of history would you be referring to, then?

Obviously it depends on your definition of "dominant" but I'm thinking late medieval and Tudor - prescribed (and proscribed) behaviour, sexual activity, belief, thought, speech ...

Thogh I will grant you that, in another sense, the state at the time seemed less dominant in some respects, because they were so ill-equipped to catch people at it.