Respond to Consultation on Sex Education

Respond to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ’s Consultation on sex education as it calls for children as young as 5 to be given lessons in sex and relationships

New NICE guidelines out for consultation suggest that good quality classes on sex, relationships and alcohol, help children and young people to understand the risks and consequences of their actions and resist peer pressure.

The guidelines call for lessons which are factually accurate, unbiased and non-judgemental, tailored to each age group and which take into account, cultural, faith and family issues.

The guidelines are scathing about teaching that focuses solely on abstinence, claiming that:

‘Research has revealed that abstinence does not help prevent the initiation of sex or reduce the frequency of intercourse or the number of partners a young person may have.  Rather, such an approach may increase early sexual activity and its consequent risks.’

Astonishingly, the guidelines go on to admit that the evidence base for this assertion is weak and may not be widely applicable.

The guidelines are a clear example of the State seeking to usurp the role and choices of parents about how, when and what to teach their children about sex education.  The explanation given for this approach is that:

‘Although most parents wish to talk to their children about sex, alcohol and drug use, they often feel ill-equipped to do so.’

The guidelines make reference to early sexualisation of children, through the media and pornography, but fail to make the links between these issues and issues such as early pregnancy and other worrying sexual behaviour in children and young people.

The guidelines recommend that schools should promote awareness of and sensitivity to diverse faith and cultural beliefs and encourage understanding of different beliefs and practices.  Particular reference was made to alcohol use, sexual orientation and abortion.  However, given the current climate of hostility towards Christianity, it is likely that any challenge to the content of these classes on faith grounds, is likely to be viewed as discriminatory and/or prejudicial.  The guidelines provide no assistance on how to balance such challenges and are overwhelmingly secular in their approach.  The priority of the guidelines is to:

‘…give children and young people the skills and confidence to delay sex, until they are ready to enjoy a responsible and mutually loving relationship.’

There are no distinctions made between same-sex and heterosexual relationships and there is no obvious consideration of faith teachings on abstinence.  In addition, most of the evidence relied on is from the USA and other countries. It is acknowledged that this evidence may have limited application in the UK (particularly as the outcomes of such programmes are not clearly specified) but this is not made explicit until much later in the document.

The guidelines can be accessed at http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=folder&o=49239

If you are a parent, a teacher or represent a school, please respond to the consultation by filling out the stakeholders comment form:

http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11673/49241/49241.doc

Points that you could make include:

• The guidelines are fiercely critical of abstinence-only methods of sex education, despite admitting that the research in this area is of limited applicability to the UK.
• The guidelines usurp the role and choices of parents about how, when and what to teach their children about sex education.
• The guidelines fail to realise the link between the early sexualisation of children and young people (through the media and pornography) and worrying behaviour, such as young pregnancy in uncommitted relationships.
• The guidelines make no distinction between homosexual and heterosexual relationships, despite objective and historically important differences.
• Although the guidelines recognise the role of faith and cultural beliefs, any challenge to the content of these classes on faith grounds, is likely to be viewed as discriminatory and/or prejudicial.

 The closing date for responses is 15th July 2010.