Relationships & Sex Education SRE for short

Parents & Teacher Notes:Relationships & Sex education article is based on the United Kingdom Education Authorities Guidelines. GTR correctly defines sexual orientation in order to allow teenagers to make their own informed choices and discourages sexual activity until individuals have establish their legal age of sexual consent status from 16 years of age, but more important when mental, emotional and physical maturity levels are more appropriate. GTR continues to promote sexual equality within and outside the UK Education Authorities system. GTR guidelines on Relationships & Sex is to make sure the subject is delivered at the right time and not too late and also the subject is covered to avoid experimenting  and to prepare for the emotional, mental and physical changes ahead of the stages of puberty and for adulthood.

What 7 to 11 year olds will be taught and should know and understand about Relationships & Sex

Before your 11th birthday you should know and understand the following:

• some boys and girls will enter puberty from as young as 10 years of age, they will know and understand what these changes will be and be fully prepared emotionally, mentally and physically.
• girls will be prepared for menstruation before their periods start
• preparation for access to and information about contraceptive information, advice and confidential services
• the moral and emotional aspects of abortion and how to access a relevant agency if necessary
• the risks of STIs, including HIV/AIDS, and information about prevention, diagnosis and treatment
• what safe sex is, and why it is important

GTR has adopted not to use sex education as a means of  promoting Heterosexuality as the only and exclusive form of sexual orientation. What this means is that we do give equal status to bisexuality, heterosexuality and homosexuality. If the extremist religious groups who wish SRE to promote their homophobic teachings behind the mask of marriage and legally get away with it. Then GTR will expect the subject of gay marriages in churches should not be excriminated against. The established church cannot expect to get their own way on everything while they continue to be a minority and while the gay, lesbian and bisexual community is a majority to theirs.

The UK guidlines claim that the subjects of sexual orientation and sexual activities must not be promoted (encouraged)  GTR interpretation of these guidlines are not an option for schools to exclude the subject information on sexual orientation or failure to define what sexual activities are.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland & Scotland have varied guidlines on RSE and published at the end of this article.

It appears that those in professional capacities who care and teach childen have parents who wish teachers not to instruct Relationships & Sex in school. This clearly opens opportunities for parents to fail in the delivery of  relationships & sex education for their child. There is also a danger where parents who are sexually abusing their children can continue or cover up their abuse. GTR is not sure parents who exclude their children from the facts are helping their child. Religious groups clearly wish to continue indoctrination of their believers. But if the religious extremist continue to promote that sexual orientation is learnt (nurtured) and reject the sciences and medical authorities position that sexual orientation is part of nature. We will always have a struggle on our hands.

It is extremely unfair for a gay child who is brought up in a family that has very strict religious convictions who on a daily basis subject their gay child to a hostile and a homophobic environment.

SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

We start with the subject of sexual abuse of children -  Children should be taught what is sexual and physical abuse first. It is a subject that is continually being published on the news media and enters the home via the television and newspapers,  children are explosed to this information and obviously the nearest place they can question these events is with their own peer groups in the playground. The majority of young children being abused maybe reached earlier if the subject is covered in school at the most earliest opportunity.  Focus should be on what is appropriate touching by adults and children and why children should avoid being left alone and unsupervised in public. The majority of children may not know that they are being abused until they are older. Why should a child be left until they are older to report abuse. Without scaring children the subject can be sensitively approached from what are hidden secrets or wrong touching. If a child is being abused they should be given the instructions to show how they can stop this behaviour and gain protection and safely.

(I recall my mother saying to me at the age of 8  never talk to strangers while walking back from school never accept a lift in a car. However, the majority of abuse is not by strangers in fact they are more likely to be by people they know within the family or locally)

What is sex education?

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Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in schools is a graduated, age appropriate programme which teaches children and young adults about sex, sexuality, emotions, relationships and sexual health. It is based around the three main elements of attitudes and values, personal and social skills, and knowledge and understanding. It aims to be age appropriate, and topics covered may include:

• the importance of marriage and stable relationships
• how to avoid teenage pregnancy
• how to recognise and avoid abuse and exploitation
• skills to avoid being pressured into unwanted or unprotected sex
• the benefits of delaying sexual activity and avoiding risky behaviour
• the importance of safer sex

While it includes the teaching of sex, sexuality and sexual health, it does not promote sexual activity, or any particular sexual orientation.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from their school’s SRE programme, except where the lessons form a part of the National Curriculum.

What is taught at what age?

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Where reproduction is taught , children will be expected to understand the following areas:

5-7 years old

• how animals and humans reproduce, and how their offspring grow into adults
• how to recognize external parts of both the male and female human body
• how to recognise similarities and differences, and to treat others with sensitivity
• Wrong and right touching *
  

7-11 years old

• learning about the growth and reproduction processes common to humans and other animals
• stages of the human life cycle

11-14 years old

• learning how the fusion of a male and a female cell causes fertilisation
• the physical and emotional changes that take place during puberty
• the menstrual cycle and how it relates to human reproduction
• how a foetus develops in the uterus

14-16 years old

• how hormonal control occurs, and how sex hormones affect the body
• how hormones are used medically, including both how they control and aid fertility.
• how sex is determined in humans

In the past schools approached to sex education was to isolate Sex and Relationships and provide sex education only under the subject of sciences. In recent years Relationships has been given equal status or finally introduced.

What is sex and relationship education?

It is lifelong learning about physical, moral and emotional development. It is
about the understanding of marriage for family life, stable and
loving relationships, respect, love and care. It is also about the teaching of sex,
sexuality, and sexual health.

It’s interesting that government policy does not wish to be seen ‘promoting sexual orientation or
sexual activity – this would be inappropriate teaching.’  claimed by the Department for Education and Employment.

At GTR we are against encouraging experimentation with sexual orientation or sexual activities but if we do seriously examine carefully what experimentation plays in the learning  process we soon realise that attempting to stop experimentation lands us into trouble. Experimentation is part of the learning process. To raise the subject of sexual orientation we are automatically promoting the subject. I think the government do not want the heterosexuals to turn gay or try out homosexual activities. This clearly shows little understanding of the subject of sexual orientation. It echos the religious groups influences and claims that homosexuality is nurtured (learnt) and not part of nature as science and biology claim.

Schools, Teachers & Parents appear to be more interested in with drawing pupils from sex education. I am aware that parents who do not want their children taught relationship and sex education at school.  For what ever reason they may actually be doing more harm than good. The issue is what if the parents fail to teach the facts and truthfully what are the consequences.

Unwanted pregnancies continue to rise within the teen community and they are getting younger. Now why am I raising a subject that has nothing to do with a gay lifestyle?  Here is the evidence that we are failing to deliver Heterosexual education correctly therefore can you imagine what mess we are in delivering  gay sex education to bisexuals or gay pupils.

What should we be teaching 7 to 11 year olds about Relationships and sex?

First we establish what they currently know about the subject. They would have soaked in already the negative information from the media covering television news, printed news papers and the TV soaps characters who play stereo type gay roles. Playground environments help to spread misinformation and name calling using the word gay in a negative way.

The subjects are as follows

1) Rape -  forcing to have sex

2) Murder sex related

3) Child pornography

4) Child sex abuse by parents, teachers and priests

5) Grooming over the internet

6) Unwanted pregnancies in young people

7) Sexually transmitted infections deliberately spread

These are very extreme issues so what impression or influence are they having on 7 to 11 year olds.

You may have already decided that you want to establish a relationship with sex rather than a brief encounter with a stranger each week or when you can get it. However much you plan ahead life can spoil them. Therefore if things do not go to plan donot worry there is always time on your side.

Sex without relationships:

Some may find relationships a turn off and prefer the freedom and variety of different partners each week. For some its difficult to find relationships and end up with only empty one night stands. Some find it difficult to even get the opportunity of sex.

What have we learnt:

While you are between 7 and 11 years old you should not be taking part in sexual activities, not even be considering or seeking such opportunities.

You should however be learning as much as possible about the subject partically how it will affect you for the future.

1) Your independence is more important before taking part in sexual activities,  there are serious responsibilities and results for the future if you do start sex too young.

2) You should know about sexual abuse and how to stop it or prevent it

3) You may already be aware that you have gay feelings, ideas and thoughts. This is normal and you should not concern yourself with them until you are much older. You will already be protecting these ideas from your friends because you could be picked on and made fun of for being different.

4) You should respect sexual activities as part of meaningful relationship and not just a brief encounter or game.

5) Making yourself safe at all times – Knowing what to do to defend yourself

6) Learn to be romantic than just behave like an animal

7) Know what is right or wrong sexual behaviour