ABSTRACT
Sex education is one of the most contentious areas of the curriculum, and public disagreements about methods and approaches are widespread. In 1994, for example, there was extensive media coverage when it came to light that during a sex education lesson for 9-to 11-year-olds in a Leeds primary school a school nurse had answered questions about oral sex and ‘Mars bar parties’ and had involved the children in role-playing an extra-marital love triangle (Meikle 1994). But the ensuing arguments about the appropriateness of this approach were about much more than content and method; they pointed to serious disagreements about the aims of sex education and the underlying values. The nurse concerned, and the parents, teachers and governors who supported her, stressed the need for openness and honesty in answering children’s questions (Burstall 1994), whereas many of those who complained about her approach, including some parents and politicians, gave higher priority to the preservation of children’s innocence (White 1994).
