Compulsory Sex Education: Good news?

It has recently been in the news that the government have announced a decision to make sex education compulsory for all pupils. To clarify for those of you teaching in the UK either through Classroom or other mediums, sex education will be taught in both Primary and Secondary schools but parents will have the option to opt their child out of these lessons until the age of 15 when all students MUST receive at least one full year of sex and relationship lessons. Any students who might refuse attendance for religious or moral reasons could possibly be punished by the school for non attendance. Until recently, parents have been able to pull their children out of classes which might cover contraception, STD's and homosexuality. This will no longer be possible. As one might imagine, Roman Catholic and Muslim groups are strongly opposing the legislation.

The government have backed up their decision by providing the following statistics: Teenage pregnancies are on the rise and in 2007 there were 41.9 conceptions per 1000 15 - 17 year olds which was up from 40.9 the previous year. Whilst currently all school children must be taught the biological facts of life - the new curriculum will cover marriage including civil partnerships and more relationship issues as well as the sex basics! The governments own research has shown that this new legislation is heavily opposed. Its certainly a sensitive issue.

Sarah Ebner in her superb Times ed blog is certainly on the side of the government in making these sex lessons (covering all aspects of sex AND relationships) mandatory and I am inclined to agree with her thinking. She is quite right in her suggestion that surely all children should "learn about their bodies, relationships, careers and sex education" and that schools "should have some leeway in how these subjects are taught". In fact Ebner goes as far as to suggest that parents will still be able to opt their children out of these lessons up to the age of 15. Her concern is that its the children of parents who opt out who probably need the information the most.

I certainly agree that not knowing about sex is more dangerous than being informed. Surely schools have a right to educate and inform and this should include looking at relationships (both heterosexual and homosexual), boy/girl differences, body image etc? Knowing just the biology of sex isn't always enough and won't necessarily get to the root of the growing teenage pregnancies and failing sexual health of the UK's teenagers. A lot of critics have suggested that it's a parents job to educate on these matters and that's true, but as Ebner points out, not ALL parents will have these conversations with their children and if they do then great, schools will simply be reinforcing what the parents have taught.

Surely the critics need to reassess? At the end of the day the government is not advocating the teaching of "how to have sex" or promoting sex in any way, shape or form. The lessons will form part of a clear curriculum covering not only sex and sexual health but relationships, drugs, bullying and more. Invaluable surely?

Its a contentious issue for sure. What do readers think? Should sex education be mandatory or (given certain religious and ethical issues) should the opt out clause remain in place?

Can a teachers private life be private?

The behaviour of teachers has long been of public interest. This was again proven when Music teacher Helen Goddard was sentenced for her relationship with an under age pupil. It's not the first time the press has run such a story, and it no doubt won't be the last though in the scheme of things, it has to be said that incidents such as these are pretty rare. What happens however if the focus shifts to a teachers more general behaviour? Should a teacher maintain a certain level of decorum in their private lives or should a teacher's private life be just that - private?

The General Teaching Council (GTC) will in October be launching its new code of practice for teachers. It is already proving quite controversial, in particular because one part of the code suggests that teachers should ‘Maintain reasonable standards in their own behaviour that enable them to maintain an effective learning environment and also to uphold public trust and confidence in the profession.’ What exactly does this mean? Some critics have suggested that a teacher might not be able to drink or smoke in public for fear of bringing teaching in to disrepute! Will a teacher have to be constantly aware of who is around them in case they are spotted by student or parent? This question is a valid one if critics are correct in suggesting that people will be encouraged to report on "teachers who behave badly"!

I think every reader of this blog would agree that teachers should indeed behave well and have a responsibility to their profession as a public key worker - just as doctors and other key workers are. The question is how far we take this? Should teachers really be expected to maintain higher standards than the rest of us?

The Chief executive of the GTC, Keith Bartley has responded to the critics who say that the new code is too intrusive in to teachers' private lives and has said ‘We are absolutely explicit that the code does not in any way intrude into teachers’ private lives.’ Read the full article here. Here at Classroom we too have a code of conduct for our supply teachers but this refers more to behaviour within the Classroom and on school premises and does not touch on behaviour in public life.

So what do you think? Do pupils see their teachers as role models and therefore should certain levels of behaviour be maintained in public by teachers?

Resource Focus Part One - TEACHERS TV

An aim of Classroom's blog is to ensure that we are recommending and advising useful resources to help you in your role as Teacher or Classroom assistant. It is not to be underestimated how useful readily available resources can be to help you deliver the best lessons in your repertoire.

Teachers TV has long been championed by our colleague Victoria who runs Classroom Canada, and rightly so. Teachers TV is a UK channel which broadcasts to help all teachers improve their teaching no matter what their background or level of experience. Its an excellent channel (a satellite channel available via freeview) and indeed website. You may not ever be in the mood to flick through your satellite channels and choose Teachers TV over The X Factor (who would?!) but my recommendation is that you use it as an online resource when you're on your laptop and in 'work mode'! Its simple to navigate and has some superb videos looking at a wide array of topics - for example - behaviour management, lesson planning and all areas of Special Needs. Most are about 15 minutes in length and give you the opportunity to learn in the most interactive way of all - as a viewer!

You can spend a lot of time navigating the Teachers TV website but it will be worth it. I stumbled across this excellent video attached where behavioural expert Sue Cowley observes and comments on a Year 5 Primary lesson which has been suffering from a small handful of disruptive pupils. Watch as she provides support and coaching for the class teacher through a hidden earpiece!

This is the first of many resource recommendations on the Classroom blog. What do you think of Teachers TV? And do you have any better suggestions for classroom resources for teaching in London? Let us know!