Sex Education for Primary School Age - Advice needed

[Jockette]

Hi, I am after some advice as I have a meeting coming up with my child primary school this month. I am concerned about the sex education and innapropriate use of naming intimate body parts at age 5. I have since removed my child from being involved in further sex ed lessons, but how can I show the school that I think 5, 6 and 7 is way to young for the kids to be learning information they don't need to be aware of at that age. What age do any of you think is appropriate for your child to be taught the breakdown of the female body part?

Alice nobody is disputing that children need to learn about periods or puberty just the explicit nature of the video's SOME schools are using. With regard to Holland there are far more factors involved than just the sex ed they recieve such as their whole family culture. Britain is trying to adopt one factor out of many and wondering why it is not working here.

British teens have had 10 years of comprehensive sex education and it has had virtually no impact on teenage pregnancies at all, in fact STD's have rocketed in the last 10 years.

For me it's not about keeping kids in ignorance but it's not about showing young children explicit videos either.

estland: yes, it is.

I went to a Catholic school many years ago. Our sex education consisted of being told that using contraceptives was a sin. Really hope it's moved on a bit since then.

There is something in what you say. The thing about eating as a family and low teenage births, maybe not pregnancy, is prob about social class - middle class more likely to eat as afamily and to go to uni so less likely to be teen mums. Sex ed happens in that context, so the result might be due to that, not the sex ed. Or both. In USA, abstinence leads to more teen preg.

At our school, they only tell you what they are doing when they get to Year 5 and are doing puberty. Quite graphic detail as well. My DS now in Year 6 is being shown the full third base info next week on his birthday poor kid. His mates have told him they are getting a copy for his birthday. With girls starting their periods from Year 5 onwards now they need to know things from a much earlier age. At our school if you withdraw your child you have to promise to cover the same info at home. I don't think it is too young. Take a tip, one year 5 boy asked whether girls had a winkie and was wripped to shreds by the other boys who called him Winkie for the next year. Let them know the true names. As for drawing a vagina, I think I would struggle at 43.

By the way my DCs in catholic school which is actually more forward than the normal state schools. They are taught that having children should wait until you are mature enough to cope even though the body may be ready much earlier. They are taught about condoms. This is from Year 5. They were also taught about erections and wet dreams. I learnt a bit myself when I saw the video before the kids with the other parents. I bet we sniggered more than the kids.

Here's the living and growing link - www.teachfind.com/teachers-tv/all-about-us-living-and-growing-how-babies-are-made

Thanks Tout!