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PROTECTING CHILDREN - A SHARED RESPONSIBIITY
Appendix 10: Principles and Aims of Sex Education
Principles
Sex education could be defined as a lifelong process whereby children and young
people acquire knowledge, understanding and skills, and develop beliefs, attitudes and values about their sexuality and relationships within a moral and ethical framework. The Working Group considers that the key principles are that:
- sex education should be viewed as one element of health education, set within the wider context of health promotion and the health promoting ethos of the school;
- sex education should contribute to the physical, emotional, moral and spiritual development of all young people within the context of today's society;
- education about sexuality and relationships should reflect the cultural, ethnic and religious influences within the home, the school and the community;
- sex education should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to the diverse backgrounds and needs of all young people;
- sex education starts informally at an early stage with parents and carers, and continues through to adulthood both within the home and at all stages of school life.
Aims
Similarly the key aims of sex education are to:
- provide accurate and relevant information about the physical and emotional changes that children and young people will experience throughout their formative years and into adulthood;
- establish an awareness of the importance of stable family life and relationships, including the responsibilities of parenthood and marriage;
- provide opportunities for children and young people to develop personal and interpersonal skills that will enable them to make and maintain appropriate relationships within the family, with friends and within the wider community;
- enable children and young people to develop and reflect upon their beliefs, attitudes and values in relation to themselves and others within a moral, ethical and multi cultural framework;
- foster self awareness and self esteem and a sense of responsibility and respect for themselves and for others;
- provide opportunities for young people to consider and reflect upon the range of attitudes to gender, sexuality and sexual orientation, relationships and family life;
- develop an appreciation of, and respect for, diversity and of the need to avoid prejudice and discrimination;
- provide information about and skills to access, where appropriate, agencies and service providing support and advice to young people.
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