Lessons on sex 'to be compulsory' in UK

by Sanjay Jha | October 22, 2008 at 10:10 pm

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The Scout Association in UK issued a new guidelines for the Scouts to be given sexual health advice to prevent unprotected sex last week. And now British government is likely to make sexual education mandatory in primary and secondary schools.

British parliamentarians have been demanding tohave sex education lessons in Primary school. Britain has by far the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe.

The government is expected to announce later that sex and relationship lessons will be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools in England.

A review was ordered after ministers branded teaching on the issue "patchy".

Currently, it is only compulsory to teach children about the biology of reproduction and changing bodies.

A BBC poll of more than 1,000 people found that 87% would support a change in approach, as long as teaching did not begin at too young an age.

In Wales, sex and relationship education is already part of the curriculum and it is a legal requirement in Northern Ireland.

There is no legal requirement in Scotland.

It is not yet clear exactly what will be taught to each year group in England, but some reports suggest five-year-olds could receive some level of sex education.

The government's review - due at 0930 BST - is being published at the same time as one on drugs education in schools.

The inquiries were announced in December last year as part of the Children's Plan.

The government has said it recognises that sexual experimentation in early adolescence can expose young people to risks.

Young people were in danger of making ill-informed choices which could put their health and future at stake, officials said.