ABSTRACT
Describing sexuality education in Europe is by no means easy. There are major differences between countries and regions in terms of both policy and views on sexuality and the sexual rights of children and young people (IPPF European Network, 2013). Although the majority of the countries in Europe are part of the European Union (EU), the political and social structures differ to a certain extent. Religion, for example, plays a greater role in some countries than in others, and the influence of religion on politics varies a great deal from country to country. The setup of the school system, however, is not determined at EU level, and thus neither is the question of sexuality education, with the school systems and their degree of centralization varying across Europe. As a consequence, the situation and preconditions for sexuality education are subject to huge variation. Nevertheless, there are similarities. Most countries have curriculums and syllabuses that are decided at national level, while general implementation is devolved to the regional or local level (Germany and Spain, for example, are divided up into states and regions with strong autonomy and decision-making powers with regard to schooling). In recent
years, gender equality, as well as sexual diversity, discrimination, and LGBTQ issues have come to be discussed at school level in many countries.
