Is it usual practice to have to meet with a teacher if you opt out of sex ed?

[Hanginglikeayoyo]

DD is in year 5, we got a letter home from yesterday to say next week there will be a week of special PSHE lessons which will include information on puberty and sex education. There’s a slip at the bottom to opt in or out, the opt out part says I do not wish my child to participate in this learning programme and would like to discuss this issue with you . Which I take to mean a parent or guardian more or less has to go in and justify their reasons why they don’t want their child to take part.

To make myself clear here, I’m absolutely fine with DD doing these lessons at school and have no intention of opting her out. However if I didn’t want her to do them for whatever reason I think I’d be fairly annoyed at having to go in and explain myself. Is this the way primary schools normally approach this issue or is it jus DD’s school?

It may be to go in to explain more what they learn about? No idea, but i would also imagine that they would tell the parents that they’re wasting their time because their child will hear it on the playground anyway.

I would just cross out the last part

I would imagine it is discuss what is being taught and why so the parent can make an informed decision. They may also want their child to be present for some topics and not others.

I guess school would want to know why you were against it?

I mean there's no escaping puberty, so really having it taught is the right thing.

I don't know if this is what most schools do but I hope it is.

Not all parents will have the time to go in and discuss this with the teacher. I’d be a bit put out, certainly.

I think that's fine, if you want to opt your child out of a compulsory part of their education you should justify it and explain how your child is going to be able to access that information.

I think it would be fine.
It gives the school a chance to check with the parent their understanding of what will be taught and why they object to it, and hopefully overcome their fears/prejudices.

More of an opportunity to discuss it rather than a summons. Many parents like to see what will be taught and what materials will be used. They then sometimes change their minds and sometimes don't.

I've no idea how it works because of academies/free schools etc but you have always had the option to revise your child from phse/sex ed but not the science curriculum.

I would hope they do make the parents go in to discuss it. I mean why as a responsible parent would anyone not want the child to learn about puberty or sex. They are things that will happen as the child grows up and they have a right to be as informed as possible

I think I'd suggest a time when it is convenient for me to meet. Just to make a point, not because I disagree with sex-ed.

I think its a good idea to encourage parents to discuss why they are withdrawing their child from this topic as there is a lot of misunderstanding and it might mean some parents change their mind.

I was really surprised by some of the mums withdrawing their daughters as they didn't want their innocence spoiled and they had a slightly odd idea of what they were actually going to learn about and how.

and discuss doesn't mean come in - it could be a phonecall or an email chat with a link to some materials and you can just say 'no I don't wish to discuss this'

I've not withdrawn my DS but would really have loved the chance to speak to school about it before they started.

I'd have preferred they put the lesson overview on the school website. I wanted to know what words would be used, what Themes would be covered and what day or week they would be doing it. Simply so that I could support it by using the same language at home and be ready to answer any questions.

I think schools need to be more open with this info and then may not get as many parents withdrawing children from it.

I would just cross out the last part
I would be very interested to know if the school did anything if a parent did that

I wouldn't withdraw my kids from sex education but I have been very irritated by a school that sends out one-sided or limited permission requests on other topics. I got a slip for an activity which only had an "I give permission" box so as it was something that was a total waste of time I did not return the form. The school then hassled me for an answer and I pointed out that the logical way of declining, given the only option on the form, was to not reply, and they then moaned that I had caused them to waste time chasing me, I think laced with the observation that all other parents had replied!!! They also have an annoying habit of sending out letters that say "all children will do X" - on one occasion it involved suspending academic lessons for a day to do some pointless peripheral bollocks that was going to go on into the evening. This was on a day when we had family commitments already that evening.

So we have got into the habit of writing in our own options and then ticking them! In this case while I think withdrawing a chid from sex ed is a seriously bad idea, crossing out the last part would be what I would do if I had a problem with an analogous situation.

We always have those slips, and they will show all the videos/resources to parents before they start, if the wish.

Looking at the information booklet, what they teach here in UK is very different from what they teach in my native country at this age. I think they are just catering for diversity, and it's great they do.

The teachers might want to discuss what the children will do instead or might warn them not to come in raging when other kids tell them what they learned.

Frankly, I think people should have to justify withdrawing their child from these lessons. And I think that in almost all cases they should not be allowed to.

I said almost all cases but I can’t actually think of any reason why it should be allowed.

Oh yes I can- a child who has suffered sexual abuse.