56 replies to this topic

[BeefJeRKy]

Hello everybody. This is my first discussion in the philosophy section of the forum, and I thought I would start with a topic that I believed has helped me and most of my classmates become a lot more mature about a more often than not taboo subject in our Middle eastern community due to the rather traditional view that sex is bad out of marriage. In fact my friends who go to other schools didn't receive such an education and were ignorant of many details of their body and sex etc...

Our school (in Lebanon the public schools are real crap so I go to a Catholic school) gave us special lessons from Grade 5 up until Grade 8 (from ages 10 till 13) to teach us initially about puberty and the changes it brings about and then later they gave us the many views of society on certain subjects such as promiscuity and sex out of marriage. We even had a religious discussion (I was faithful at the time) about sex and creation. All in all, it really has helped me mature into the person I am.

I want to know others' opinions about this subject.

[Ion Cannon!]

We had sex education in year 6 - So I was 10. Then after that nothing. We didn't learn much, and everything I know about sex education is from outside sex education. Maybe if it had been more expansive I may have learnt something. I definately feel it could, and should be taught, but over a longer period of time. Teenage pregnancy is pretty common here in britain. But i'm not sure if sex education would affect the rate much.

[Chyros]

I was on a Christian school, so I never had the luxury of sex ed classes. I've missed a lot and was misinformed for a long time, and I think my school failed miserably in preparing me for life.

[Admiral Wesley]

I beleive that sex education should be banned. Kids already know enough about sex from other sources.

Also, I am the type of guy who thinks anything regarding the "lower half" is disgusting. Not like, worms, mud, snot stuff that the average boy likes. I mean like something that will make you vomit. Literally.

[Sgt. Rho]

Year 3 here (I was..I think 8 or 9 there). I think it is just right. Why? Because in Germany, and even more here (in Spain) , young people talk about sexuality without having no crap of a plan about it.

Edited by Master_Chief, 26 June 2008 - 21:55.

[CodeCat]

I think it's a duty of schools to educate kids in how their body works. They're better off learning it beforehand than the hard way afterwards.

[Wizard]

General Wesley, on 26 Jun 2008, 22:23, said:

I beleive that sex education should be banned. Kids already know enough about sex from other sources.

AnD the teen pregnancy rates rising around the world suggest that the playground and "teenbeat" magazine are perfect sources for the younger generation to gleam their full working knowledge of the human reproductive system.

Edited by Wizard, 26 June 2008 - 22:49.

[Lucid]

i think that the teen pregnancy problem isn't caused by late education, but rather by exposure to media that glamorizes it, but glosses over the long term consequences. it's also the same with underage drinking/smoking/ and drugs, but that's for another thread

Edited by Viper, 26 June 2008 - 22:50.

[CodeCat]

Sure, but if you can't stop the media from providing inaccurate information, what's the next best choice? Ensuring that they get proper, accurate information first.

[smooder]

Its the job of the parents IMO.

Saying that I never got sex ed off my parents. Thank God.

Still I'll teach my young 'uns.

[CodeCat]

If it's the job of the parents, then what else could be the job of the parents? Maths? Geography? It's still a basic level of education that everyone should have, therefore it belongs in school.

[Overdose]

I wish I had sexual education. I've spent from 1st to 7th grade in catholic schools and they didn't teach me squat. Suddenly I was 12 and I had to start liking girls. Some things are better off found out on your own but this is surely not one of those things.

[AllStarZ]

Sexual Education needs to definitely be taught in schools. Parents don't bother trying to teach their kids about it ( I know mine didn't ), and I'm damn glad I got those 3-4 years. And really, there are only three proper sources for it: teachers, parents and doctors. The latter is only available on request, and only tells you what you ask normally not to mention is awkward and embarrassing to ask, and the former may neglect or evade the subject entirely, or may not be asked at all due to the awkwardness.

[Rayburn]

I agree with CodeCat on the whole matter. People must learn the basics about their bodily functions just like they have to learn simple maths and common knowledge. One might be disgusted by the subject but that's no reason not to learn about it. WW2 was a nasty thing as well but still, people must learn about it. Especially today, proper sex-ed in schools is a must because parents get more and more irresponsible when it comes to the education of their kids. Leave it entirely up to the parents and you can't guarantee that everyone learns the right things. The same applies to the idea that kids might as well learn from "other sources". What sources? Lifestyle magazines on TV? Porn? These don't have anything to do with actual education. It teaches them what SM is and what fetishes are but they do not learn the important things, how pregnancy works and shit. Using these things as sources is even worse than offering no education at all. Knowing nothing is still better than having "knowledge" which is simply wrong. In short: Nobody asks you to enjoy sex-ed but you must learn it nonetheless.

Edited by Rayburn, 28 June 2008 - 10:45.

[Mr. Mylo]

I guess it´s the most important you can learn in school... and for sure it´s the stuff you need the most in your further life...
I had sexual education about 3 times in school... 4th grade, 6th grade, and 8th grade... sexual education is a must in schools

[Nid]

I agree that Sex Ed should definately be taught in schools.
I even went to a Catholic school and I was taught at the age of 11, in Year 6.
However, at the rate teenage pregnancy is soaring, especially in Britain here, one does wonder if Sex-Ed at such a young age has anything to do with it.
I think perhaps setting back the age a little at which kids are educated might help the situation a little, but then we may have other problems arising, such as kids "experimenting" with things they don't have a clue about.

[Lucid]

the problem is that, at least around here, the school system doesn't make students learn sex ed, the parents can pull their child out if they want to.

[Eddy01741]

It should definitely be taught in school, its a very important subject and those who are misinformed may make big mistakes early on in life. I'm glad that they teach it in school, where its not that awkward or anything. If my parents taught me about this stuff... that would be just awful.

[BeefJeRKy]

Niddy, on 28 Jun 2008, 14:13, said:

I agree that Sex Ed should definately be taught in schools.
I even went to a Catholic school and I was taught at the age of 11, in Year 6.
However, at the rate teenage pregnancy is soaring, especially in Britain here, one does wonder if Sex-Ed at such a young age has anything to do with it.
I think perhaps setting back the age a little at which kids are educated might help the situation a little, but then we may have other problems arising, such as kids "experimenting" with things they don't have a clue about.

I don't really think sex-ed will help decrease unwanted pregnancies by any large margin but it creates awareness at the very least. I also found it quite ironic that our Catholic school mentioned that condoms are a more efficient way to avoid STDs than abstinence because they expected us to be virgins until marriage at the time .

[smooder]

CodeCat, on 27 Jun 2008, 0:59, said:

If it's the job of the parents, then what else could be the job of the parents? Maths? Geography? It's still a basic level of education that everyone should have, therefore it belongs in school.

This is not an academic or practical subject. Its a lesson on life.

Sure the biological aspects should be taught in biology.

Apart from that everything on this matter should be discussed with the parents.

Its sensible really. The parents have experienced the sort of puberty that their children will likely go through so its more specific and more personal.

If the parents were late starters they can discuss it with their children to stop them being anxious.

Trust me as a late starter myself (puberty properly kicked me in the balls around when I turned 15) it is a huge huge issue. Everyone has grown, their voices changed etc and your still physically a kid. A strong personality at puberty can change at this very moment as they become image concious and nobody respects them like they used to.

Likewise telling a kid that they have a B.O problem is much better from the parents then the teachers

So to sum up, I think the biological aspects are best told by the teachers who are qualified.
The Social aspects definatley by the parents.

[AllStarZ]

Parents generally now neglect their child's raising, so the influence of peers and others is greater now than it has been in the past.

[smooder]

Well it isnt the teachers job to raise peoples children for them.

They don't get payed nearly enough

It would be interesting to hear what dauth has to say on this. I believe he's training to be a teacher. (or I imagined it )

[Dauth]

Wizard, on 26 Jun 2008, 23:17, said:

General Wesley, on 26 Jun 2008, 22:23, said:

I beleive that sex education should be banned. Kids already know enough about sex from other sources.

AnD the teen pregnancy rates rising around the world suggest that the playground and "teenbeat" magazine are perfect sources for the younger generation to gleam their full working knowledge of the human reproductive system.

Wizard, you amuse me, while still having a very good point.

smooder, on 30 Jun 2008, 10:17, said:

Well it isnt the teachers job to raise peoples children for them.

They don't get payed nearly enough

Because the parents do such a good job? It's just a shame people aren't dying out before they breed.

Quote

It would be interesting to hear what dauth has to say on this. I believe he's training to be a teacher. (or I imagined it )

Over my cold dead body will I teach in a state comprehensive. Possibly when I'm older I'd look at a 6th form, but I will only teach people who want to be there, if they don't then as far as I am concerned they can go out to the field and waste their time not mine.

@Topic

Was taught at age 11, then a weekly session called Personal Development (Then rebranded to Personal Social Education) at high school.

It needs to be taught, people need to hear what will happen to them as they grow up. The idea of not teaching is ludicrous. It's the same approach as, 'I feel ill and I have this lump, if I go to the Doctor he'll tell me its cancer and I'll die, but if I don't it will be ok'

Seriously, how little about humanity do you have to know to think like that?

[smooder]

Does anyone agree with me about the biological and social aspects?

Edited by smooder, 30 June 2008 - 10:54.

[Rot Front]

Well... I see that I am only person who voted against sexual education.
In my opinion destroying of tabooes is a way to morale degeneration. More, making people similar to creatures f*cking since childhood. Of course, it is base of mankind's existence but teach children about this and 'screaming on every corner' as we see it today (mass media) is... incorrect at least. When our ancesstors thousands of years ago was created these norms of morality, this had some sense on this. No, i'm not support these hypocritical christian rhetorics of "No sex before marriage" (i'm not christian, btw), but falling down to creatures condition isn't a correct way.

P.S. I hope you all will understand that i written. Excuse me, my english is bad... and i studied mainly technical/scientific english, not able to talk about such problems... sorry.