Sexual Education and the youth of Australia (1 Viewer)

[kami]

In Australia, we have it as compulsory to teach subjects such as safe sex, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and homophobic bullying. However some sectors would prefer abstinence based sex education on the premise that 'prevention is better than the cure', there are also at times calls made for a form of 'sexual morality' to be included in the topics taught. Do you agree with these schools of thought? Why? What do you believe should be taught to the youth of Australia?

Articles of interest:
The facts to make a choice
Call for free condoms despite falling rates of teen pregnancy
Muslim sex education: Just say no
Gay books at daycare 'inappropriate'
What is appropriate health education in schools?

 

[Skeeta]

it cant hurt teaching teens to wait for the right person and how bad sleeping around can be - but teaching abstinence (untill marriage?) i dont think would work.. kids are going to have sex whether a teacher says its ok or not

i think that the sex education that we get in school (or got) was ok.. but it should be more detailed than "this is how you put on a condom"
i think that PE teachers should be more educated at college about ALL types of contraception - because all i really got taught at school was to use a condom (which really isnt enough for kids)

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

how could you teach sexual morality?
its so subjective..

unless you could teach about self-esteem, valuing ones body and protection from STI's..... then treat the children like adults and let them have choices... given information.. challenge their ideas....

very few teachers stimulated (no pun intended *shudders*) enough discussion during sex ed. time.. its makes it very hard for ppl to have their ideas scrutinised...

Topics
like anal sex and its pros/cons... is it dangerous? why is it fun?..
Condoms... when is a good idea?
STIs/STDs? what are the long term repercussion...
Emotional/Psychological consequences
when/where to seek help..

I was lucky to have 2 great medics in uni who loved and taught sexual health.... they were stimulating and challenged our very ideas about it.. the psychological (e.g. fuck buddies, homosexuality etc) and the physiology of sex...

 

[banco55]

In Australia, we have it as compulsory to teach subjects such as safe sex, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and homophobic bullying. However some sectors would prefer abstinence based sex education on the premise that 'prevention is better than the cure', there are also at times calls made for a form of 'sexual morality' to be included in the topics taught. Do you agree with these schools of thought? Why? What do you believe should be taught to the youth of Australia?

It's only compulsory in public schools isn't it? I can see the catholics point that if you're teaching kids about contraception etc. you are already teaching/presenting a particular sexual morality.

 

[Skeeta]

how could you teach sexual morality?
its so subjective..

unless you could teach about self-esteem, valuing ones body and protection from STI's..... then treat the children like adults and let them have choices... given information.. challenge their ideas....

i completely agree here. from what i can remember part of PE/health was about knowing what good relationships are etc. Self esteem and depression was a big part of it too.

A few friends of mine are training to be PE teachers and had to teach sexual education on their placements.. some of them were at schools, where dropouts from pregnancy are high.. these kids knew A LOT about sex, a lot of them have been having sex for several years.. In schools like this what is the point of telling them that sex is bad unless you are married?

You can teach them about respecting themselves though - and more contraception! Some of these (prac) teachers didnt know what a diaphragm was about, or "the sponge" as they'd heard on seinfeld. Kids know alot more than people think and i think that the teachers should have higher education on these matters because some of the questions i heard were doozy's

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

i completely agree here. from what i can remember part of PE/health was about knowing what good relationships are etc. Self esteem and depression was a big part of it too.

A few friends of mine are training to be PE teachers and had to teach sexual education on their placements.. some of them were at schools, where dropouts from pregnancy are high.. these kids knew A LOT about sex, a lot of them have been having sex for several years.. In schools like this what is the point of telling them that sex is bad unless you are married?

You can teach them about respecting themselves though - and more contraception! Some of these (prac) teachers didnt know what a diaphragm was about, or "the sponge" as they'd heard on seinfeld. Kids know alot more than people think and i think that the teachers should have higher education on these matters because some of the questions i heard were doozy's

i dun see why teachers dun ask the local sexual health (medic or nurse) coordinator to come in.. as teachers are not usually loaded with the newest information

and like get a few questions before hand and like a few on the spot...

the best ones i hav heard are from 12-16 yr olds... and basically if u have someone give them the facts its good... not from a scare all method but a balanced view..(cos chances are their experience is from a magazine tho.. FHM/Ralph, Dolly all have either GPs or Sexual health physcians... but kids are prone to formulating ideas of their own.. lik from their mate's brother's playboy or the schoolyard know it all)

information about why unprotected sex... rape .. are not good ideas...

places that they can get help from..

tho an interesting article from last yr is
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/183_08_171005/kan10595_fm.html

 

[kami]

It's only compulsory in public schools isn't it? I can see the catholics point that if you're teaching kids about contraception etc. you are already teaching/presenting a particular sexual morality.

If you wish to be registered with the Board of Studies as a school, then you must at some point cover those topics, regardless of whether religious, secular, public or private. However alot of leeway is given in how it may be taught and from what perspectives and with what morals.

 

[yy]

i go to a public school and i got taught abstinence as one of the ways of contraceptives.
As Nolanistic said, abstinence simply doesn't work. These people trying to promote it are fighting a ideological battle at the expense of the outcome. if they really want their children to remain innocent and pure, maybe they should try to isolate them from the rest of the world (i.e. no media of any form).
i also think that it should not be taught as part of PE. although i could not really think of the alternative. but as part of PE, it's being taken more lightly, at least at my school
sexual morality - definitely no no, it's against my morals

 

[Skeeta]

i think its a good idea to have the PE staff teaching about sex education

in my opinion (or at least with my school anyway) students seemed to have better relationships with their PE teachers (as opposed to maths and science)

isnt it part of health, and not PE?

or are these the same subject?

 

[xeuyrawp]

I actually thought that my school (Barker) taught the PDHPE syllabus really well. It must be difficult for teachers to engage students in both sensitive and boring topics. I reckon it should be compulsary along with drug education simply because it gives students more of a choice in how to have sex / use drugs. If you make something taboo, a student could it as a 'dangerous' and foreign and will be less informed, more likely to partake for the wrong reasons; which means hurting themselves or their partner...

Things like safe sex and drug harm minimalisation syllabuses have a lot of potential.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Things like safe sex and drug harm minimalisation syllabuses have a lot of potential.

yeah i reckon..

like the need to also talk about how drugs and sex are handled differently in other countries/cultures..... cos naivity is not a defense for other countries laws and customs..

 

[withoutaface]

Free condoms won't do much imo, because at 50c a pop they're not exactly out of anyone's price range.

 

[Skeeta]

Free condoms won't do much imo, because at 50c a pop they're not exactly out of anyone's price range.

i dont think its the price thats the issue for kids at school, its more the fact that they dont want to be seen buying condoms, or are to embarrased to do so.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

However some sectors would prefer abstinence based sex education on the premise that 'prevention is better than the cure', there are also at times calls made for a form of 'sexual morality' to be included in the topics taught.

Most people whom take pledges of 'abstinence' inevitably fail, and when they do... they are MUCH less likely to not wear a condom. Abstinence is some conservative kink, this actually beginning in a time when rich nobelmen wanted it in place to ensure their bitches weren't being messed with.

i think that PE teachers should be more educated at college about ALL types of contraception - because all i really got taught at school was to use a condom (which really isnt enough for kids)

Well, imo, getting everyone to wear a condom and understanding that it DOES work pretty much all the fucking time, should be the main focus.

It's only compulsory in public schools isn't it? I can see the catholics point that if you're teaching kids about contraception etc. you are already teaching/presenting a particular sexual morality.

Alot of them would claim they also want to teach kids not to masturbate... You do realise this goes against human biology don't you? It's like telling someone not to fart.