Teachers told to discuss porn

BRITAIN

CHILDREN should be taught about the influence of pornography as part of their sex education in secondary school, the schools inspector, Ofsted, said yesterday.

A report by the body said that too often secondary school pupils were taught about the ‘‘mechanics’’ of sex and not enough about healthy sexual relationships.

It said that teachers should encourage class discussions about pornography and other controversial issues such as sexual abuse and homosexuality to help pupils to prepare for adulthood.

A group of schoolchildren surveyed by Ofsted said that teachers in secondary schools often avoided discussions about such topics and left sex and reproduction to be taught within the science curriculum.

‘‘The failure to include discussion of pornography is concerning as research shows that children as young as 9 are increasingly accessing pornographic websites, and ChildLine counsellors have confirmed an increase to more than 50 calls a month from teenagers upset by pornography,’’ the report said.

It quoted a response to the survey by a boy aged 15, who, when asked what would make sex education more useful, replied: ‘‘The influence of the media such as porn on people’s views of sex and the human body.’’

Inspectors

concluded

that

tea- chers should have better training and support to give lessons on sex education and other aspects of personal and social development.

Sex education required improvement in almost half of secondary schools and in a third of primary schools.

The report said this was a particular concern. It cited research by a charity which found that failure to provide high-quality education about relationships could leave young people vulnerable to exploitation.

Many primary school teachers spent too long talking about relationships and friendships, leaving children unprepared for the physical and emotional changes of puberty, the report said. But many secondary schools did the opposite, putting too much emphasis on the ‘‘mechanics’’ of reproduction.

Ofsted said standards for personal and social education were not good enough in 42 per cent of primary and 38 per cent of secondary schools. In one primary school, children had two hours of sex education between 5 and 11. Ofsted judged the provision inadequate.

Separate research by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection charity, concluded that children needed to be taught appropriate language; should develop confidence to describe unwanted behaviour and know to whom they should go for help to keep themselves safe; and must understand that sexual exploitation is wrong.