Sex education - should it be compulsory?

[hunkermunker]

Whaddya think? I think it should and from a very young age (four or five) - and more sex and relationship education than just "the mechanics".

Interesting prog on this very subject on Friday at 10.30am on Channel 4.

Until then, discuss.

Absolutely yes. And from a young age too.

The better informed children are about their bodies and their emotions, the better equipped they are likely to be to handle them well.

Dd's school have Life Education classes from nursery - they start off being taught how and why we should keep our bodies clean, putting the right things (food and drink, I mean) into them - and as they get older the emphasis moves more onto drugs and sex education - and includes relationships and emotions. The emphasis is on respecting and looking after their bodies rather than just the mechanics of sex, and I like that approach. It's the one I'm taking and will continue to take with dd ... although she's only 5 as yet so a long while before a lot of it is relevant to her.

Sounds good, WWB.

In Holland they have cartoons of masturbation. Is the UK ready for this?

Those for teenagers, I hasten to add.

Sadly most UK parents aren't ready for things like that, Hunker.

Sex ed should just be part of learning and not be made out to be a big deal imo. However I am currently tussling with dd2's education in this subject. She knows the basics from me, but I've just discovered she's missed any school Sex Ed classes because she moved schools. I've not found a decent book on the subject, plus I don't know exactly what schools teach at what age. Dd2 is very coy about the whole thing and refuses to talk about it so I'm stymied as to what to do.