When Is The Right Time For Sex Education?

[ToraToraTora]

A pal of mine has just told me his son has been given sex education at the age of 9. Now he's using what he's learnt to ask embarrasing questions to all and sundry and is in all sorts of trouble in school and with relatives generally and cannot understand why. I remember sex education at the age of approx 13-14. Surely 9 is far too young to get a proper grasp of this difficult subject so why are primary school childreen being burdened so young?

[Mamyalynne]

If you will pardon me , I think the emphasis on the 'clitoris' in this conversation is being over hyped, it may well appear on a labelled diagram just as the other parts do.

[JonnyBoy12]

I was very put out that our sex education did not include a practical session!

[DTCwordfan]

We took our Biology master apart in Lower Sixth, a bachelor with the nickname of "Scruff," the class turning totally innocent on what reproduction was all about......right bastards we were it must be said. For me, it was a lesson from the headmaster at 11, three of us having gone to the headmaster about the second master who had been taking photos of one of our friends in the garages in a high state of nudity.

There were also a number of other 'incidents'.....

[Sharingan]

I can't see why people get so hung up about body parts. I imagine that a child knows what it's toes are and it's eyes are and it's armpits are by the age of nine. Why then should they have the knowledge of what their reproductive organs are called kept from them? That instills an air of secrecy and something to be ashamed of, and as such doesn't that leave children wide open to an abusive adult capitalising on that instilled shame? I'm sure no harm ever came from a little girl or boy knowing clitoris' have a proper name.

[bednobs]

hmm, i was asking my sister questions about periods when i was 10

[friedgreentomato]

I had sex education in the last year at Primary School - did'nt do me any harm!

[sherrardk]

My seven year old know she has ears but can't name all the bones inside them. If a parent wants their seven year old to know the name of every part of the body, fine, that's up them but I don't want a school making that decision for me. My seven year doesn't need to know that level of detail of any part of the body at the moment. I think some people go too far either way - those that pretend sex doesn't happen and those who arm their children with too much information at too young an age.

[daffy654]

We started to learn about human reproduction in about the 3rd year of highschool, so about 13 years old. I already knew most of it though (as the second youngest of 7 kids and having been brought up in care with older children).

[naomi24]

Sherrard, I agree.

[bednobs]

people have bones in their ears??

[cupid04]

anvil bone

[sherrardk]

There's three of them - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/42604/ear-bone

[boxtops]

Our sex education at school in the sixties - when we were 13 - consisted of a pile of us sitting in the school hall (we were a mixed school) watching a film about rabbits.

[B00]

Rampant ones??

[DTCwordfan]

My goodness, the things that you learn on here - and not just the sex issue being debated - that fgt is so young! Sex education last year..........

[Old_Geezer]

I recall getting taught sex lessons during the first year of secondary school and thinking how stupid it was then since we didn't get told anything we didn't already know. Embarassing also. (I also recall being told we all HAD to ask a question so I thought of one and didn't get a very satisfactory answer. I don't think the teacher knew as much biology as they thought. I recall thinking why did they insist on a question if they couldn't answer them anyway.)

So based on that experience from decades ago I'd suspect if it is to be of any use it should, latest, be the last year of primary school, which would be 11. 10 might be ok. 9 is possibly slightly young but if you wish folk to treat the subject as a normal part of life and not something to be embarrassed about, I can see why it might be considered. But yes, maybe a little young to be force fed the information rather than have questions honestly answered.

[Old_Geezer]

"School can teach the mechanics...parents should teach the emotions involved."

Yeah ....... it's that word "should" isn't it. I'd approve of formal education involving the emotional aspect too so those with the misfortune of having less than ideal parents don't get disadvantaged.