Sex and Relationship Education Across the Age Continuum (Dissertation Sample)

Sex and relationship education across the age continuum
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Introduction
In parts of the world, education is perceived as one of the most pivotal areas that children and teenagers must be taught to guide them into adulthood. The United Kingdom (UK) sex and relationship education (SRE) is taught to teenagers with the aim of modeling them to develop good sexual behaviors. SRE has many advantages for all young people and is a step to teach them how to conduct themselves while educating them on transformations as they undergo the transition from childhood to adulthood. (Kirby, 2012).
Approaches used in SRE education
There are many different approaches used to educate young people. Most countries incorporate SRE into the school curriculum. These schools teach their students on how to relate with opposite sex and also transitions that they undergo as they transform from childhood to adulthood (Cruz, 2012). The United States (US) and the UK experience challenges that politics bring in educating SRE to young people. Some believe that SRE acts as a factor that corrupts the minds of young people hence raising their curiosity in sex and sexual relationships (Allen, 2007). Politics also determines the extent to which the education will be offered to young people (Cruz, 2012).
Recent government decision on PSHE
The government has recognized the various ways in which PSHE education is being offered in different schools. The government has agreed to bring in standards across the board as this will enhance young people and students to be able to access good sex and relationship education. According to the government, there are clear benefits of SRE education in schools. This is clearly observed due to increase in the number of contraceptives and condoms use and reduced risks of spread of STDs. According to FPA, SRE education has received support from over 88% of parents and school going children.
Political agenda on provision of SRE
Politics is known to be a factor that influences many aspects of life, and the manner in which people deal with the politicians is essential if progress is to be realized by any government. Politics have been brought into this sensitive issue, and this has resulted in heated arguments that force governments to remove some part of the curriculum that is necessary for a full sex and relationship education (Cruz, 2012). Those that criticize sex and relationship education offered to students claim that it should be taught in a manner that is suitable for the age of these students. As young people get older, they should be introduced to most complex subjects around SRE (Dray, 2005). Parents should be allowed to criticize objectively the manner in which sex education is administered to their children and at the same time be given the chance to provide suggestions that can work better in enhancing sex education offered to these children (Ioannou, 2015). According to FPA, if SRE is offered in schools, it will prevent spread of STDs and will also enhance condoms and contraceptives use amongst students and youths. Therefore, SRE should be provided in all public and private schools.
The government expects that anyone who has undergone sex and relationship education should develop systematically regarding mental and physical development (Isley, 2010). By explaining to students about the physical changes that take place in their bodies, they will be able to understand and comprehend them and even develop behavior that is expected of them as they develop (Constantine, 2008). In 2010, parliament raised concerns (like safe sex) about sex and relationship education that is offered to students (Kassab, 2014). As a result of concerns raised, a lot of modifications (like ways in which students were taught) were made to enable students to benefit from education provided (Knowles, 2012).
Some politicians suggested that education is modified and made accessible through technology (Slater, 2015). This would then increase the number of people that access this information at their own preferred time (Lamb, 2015). They argued that some people also required privacy when accessing such information so being on the internet would enable them to enjoy the privacy that they needed. Other improvements were made in 2015 which tried to restrict the age at which one would start receiving such education. When taught at a young age, this knowledge would raise the curiosity of children and make them to be more interested in relationships and sex (Constantine, 2008). This helped since students in a given class are always in one age bracket which made it easier for the planners of curriculum to be able to divide the content of sex and relationship education into parts that fitted the age of these students (Isley, 2010).
Role of age in SRE education
Age plays an important role in this subject as the students should be taught what is suitable for their age (Dray. 2005). The government also made a step in 2015 of increasing the amount of knowledge that the students learn in high school. This would improve the efficiency of the education, and they were taught the manner in which they are expected to behave with one another. They are also taught how they should behave to people who are older than them (Isley, 2010). This also acts as a tool that can be used to instill good morals in the students so that they become responsible citizens when they grow up (Raitz, 2015).
All schools that are managed by local authorities in some countries have the mandate to teach their students the content of this education. Teachers and other instructors are provided with information that they need to pass to the students. They are also taught the manner in which they should pass this information to these students (Riddell, 2005). This is mandatory for all the schools that are controlled by the local authorities because it provides them with a learning center where they do not have to divide learners according to their age. They only need to divide the content that is to be learned in a manner that fit the age bracket of the learners (Isley, 2010). The academic and free schools also have the responsibility of for teaching the topic of sex and relationship education that can help them develop as required.
Since private schools have a different curriculum from the schools that are controlled by the local authorities, they are provided with the content that has already been structured well to fit the curriculum that they use (Lindberg, 2012). This makes it possible for them to learn the education that is offered in other schools and is responsible for the development of the individual. There is a part of the content that is mandatory for all the students while there is part of the curriculum that is optional (Lindberg, 2012). This also provides the students with the ability to choose what they want to learn. The relationship and sex education that is offered to students provides them with the chance to know themselves and the physical changes that take place in their bodies. The teachers are also taught by professionals the manner in which they should present the knowledge to the learners.
Though the government expects that all the children should learn sex and relationship education, it does not prevent the parents from removing their children in schools that offer this education (Isley, 2010). If a parent feels that the content being taught to the children is not suitable, they have the right and freedom to remove their children from such schools. As a result of the politics that are present, some parents feel that it is not the best type of education for their children and may end up removing their children from the schools offering it. The government offers the parents who wish to do so, the liberty to remove their children if they wish. Some schools also organize interactive events where the parents can be taught the importance of SRE; this gives parents an understanding of the SRE topics that the schools offer. Many schools that do not offer SRE also fight hard to convince the government to allow them to teach it to their learners. This has helped increase the number of students that gain this knowledge, and this means that this has led to the spread of knowledge among youths who are expected to learn this content.
Needs of different groups in SRE education
The aims of the sex education at different levels are varied as the learners in every stage do not have similar characteristics. The younger learners are not taught matters relating to sex and relationships as this can may lead to early maturity characteristics that can make the learners loose the morals they have (Lindberg, 2012). Children are expected to be of good morals, and this should be taught throughout school. Boys also need information that is not useful for girls and vice versa; this has been included in the curriculum they learn which is needed for their development. Many parents who take their children to schools that offer SRE also find it easy to manage the children at home because they have the required good morals (Raitz, 2015).
Schools are expected to provide best education that their students need which is very significant in their development concerning their mental ability and physical outlook. According to Isley, 2010, children are to be taught the manner in which they should relate with one another and the teachers together with their parents. These are adults who they mostly interact with. Teachers are expected to meet objectives that have been set out by scholars and ensuring that they produce a student who has the capability of handling the challenges that are related to sex and relationships.
Children are taught how they should treat one another in a relationship; that they have the characteristics of a healthy relationship and a relationship that they can enjoy being in. The...