Why I don’t want my boy, 4, taught about sex in class
WHEN my youngest son starts primary school this September, he’ll probably spend the first year playing with modelling clay, making friends, and crying about the fact that he can’t take in his entire Lego collection.
By next year, however, things will start to get more serious.
Following the biggest shakeup in the national curriculum for 20 years, Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced this week the Government will be introducing lessons about sex and relationships, female genital mutilation and different ways of enjoying intimacy from 2020.
While most of the more serious stuff will be reserved for when children are at secondary school, kids between the ages of four and 11 will still be taught relationship education.
When I heard about the guidelines, I was worried about these mature themes being introduced to children at such a young age. My soon-to-be four-year-old recently burst in on me in the loo demanding to know “why aren’t you standing up to wee like me, Mum?”
He doesn’t really understand the difference between boys and girls and that’s fine, children should remain blissfully unaware for as long as possible.
Thankfully, most of the contentious elements won’t be taught until he’s a lot older. But speaking as someone who didn’t have a “normal” childhood – my dad died when I was four, I went to three different primary schools and was brought up by my grandmother because my mum worked away for months at a time – I welcome the fact schools will have “relationship education” classes where children learn different types of families.
I still remember crying in school on Mother’s Day when all the kids were making cards for their mums. With my mum away and me not knowing when she’d be back, I sat feeling embarrassed, not knowing what do to do. Similarly, how do children without dads feel on Father’s Day when they’re left out watching their friends make things for their parent? I know that sickto-your-stomach feeling, and no child should be made to feel like that.
The new sex education curriculum has to reflect modern Britain – a modern Britain where some children live with one parent while others live with parents of the same gender.
Of course I don’t want my four-yearold to be taught about sex, but if he learns a valuable lesson about life and respect, it will be one of the most important things he learns.
‘‘ I welcome the fact children will learn about different types of families