Teach Kids More About Sex Earlier, Say Australian Teachers

At Morning Quickie we believe that sex education is the best way to avoid any unwanted diseases or pregnancies.

Australian high school teachers seem to agree.

A study by La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health and Society found that teachers at 300 schools around the country want sex ed to start as early as elementary school but lack the time, resources and training to teach it properly.

Researchers found that 44 percent said they were careful what they taught because they feared a community backlash and that teachers’ knowledge of how to teach sex education varied from school to school.

They thought the names and functions of reproductive organs, pregnancy and birth, and relationships and feelings, should be covered before children reached high school but were evenly torn between broaching the subjects of sexual decision-making and sexually transmitted diseases at the beginning or the mid-point of middle school.

Researchers say pressures to focus on mainstream subjects are squeezing out sex education. They’re warning that a failure to provide children and teens with in-depth information could lead to more risky sexual activity amongst teenagers when STI statistics among Australian youth are already high.

As children reach puberty earlier and have more access to sexual content online and in the media, introducing sex ed earlier would also provide them a more realistic image of sex and sexuality.

And after the wave of support shown for the Rip and Roll campaign at the beginning of the month, it’s obvious the Australian population also believes in safe and informed sex.

It’s up to the guys higher up to hear the message now.

Contact the author here: sedera@morningquickie.com