...and pupils, 6, get compulsory lessons in ‘self-touching’
CHILDREN as young as six are being taught about touching or ‘stimulating’ their own genitals as part of classes that will become compulsory in hundreds of primary schools.
Some parents, campaigners and religious groups believe the lessons in a new sex and relationships teaching programme called All About Me are ‘sexualising’ young children.
All About Me is being rolled out in 241 primaries by Warwickshire County Council and could be used by other local authorities next year as part of the Government overhaul of Relationship and Sex Education (RSE).
From next September, parents will not be able to withdraw children from these lessons.
Tory MP David Davies said: ‘These classes go way beyond the guidance the Government is producing and are effectively sexualising very young children.’
An explanation of ‘rules about self-stimulation’ appears in the scheme’s Year Two lesson plan for six and seven-year-olds.
Teachers are advised to tell children that ‘lots of people like to tickle or stroke themselves as it might feel nice’.
They are instructed to say this may include touching their ‘private parts’ and, that while some people may say that is ‘dirty’, it is in fact ‘very normal’.
Pupils are warned it is ‘not polite’ to touch themselves in public. The guidance on touching is repeated in lesson plans for Years Four and Five, involving pupils aged eight to ten.
Parents at Coten End Primary School in Warwick met sex education consultant Jonny Hunt, one of the architects of the scheme, and raised concerns.
Asked why ‘self-stimulation’ appeared in lesson plans and why it was not in the non-compulsory sex education element of the programme, he said: ‘However uncomfortable adults may find it, children of all ages self-stimulate from time to time.’
Naomi and Matthew Seymour, whose two sons attend Coten End, strongly disagree with that assessment and removed them from school when it was taught.
Mr Seymour, 38, said: ‘This sexualisation of our children is inappropriate. They are calling it self-touching and they won’t use the term masturbation, but that’s what they’re talking about.’
Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, said: ‘It looks like Warwickshire has paid more attention to a sex education consultancy than to… what parents understand to be in the best interests of their children.’
Warwickshire County Council said the lessons were ‘tailored to the age and development level of the children’.