ABSTRACT
In England (as elsewhere), it is well documented (for example, Allen, 1987; Hutton, 1992; Thomson and Scott, 1992; Woodcock, Stenner and Ingham, 1992; Evans, Ingham and Roots, 1994; NFER, 1994) that there are limitations on what schools can achieve in terms of sex education. Among the various problems are the lack of adequate training for teachers, the difficulties of dealing with large classes, a tendency to concentrate too much on the biological aspects of reproduction, the difficulties of dealing with ‘sensitive issues’ through embarrassment and/or fears of possible parental reaction, the pressures on curriculum time as a result of the National Curriculum and league tables of examination results,1 and so on. Recent changes to the Education Act, including the right of young people to withdraw (or be withdrawn by their parents) from sex-education classes and the ambiguity about the legal position of teachers giving advice, have further added to the problems associated with placing too much faith in school-based sex-education programmes.
