Sex education - what do young people think? Feb 23, 2010
Sex education -
what do young people think?
11-18 year-olds give their views on
the sex education they receive
1 March - 19 March
www.headsup.org.uk
The next online HeadsUp
forum for 11-18
year-olds will be Sex education - do you get enough? The
topic has never been more relevant with political parties and commentators entering
into the debate, giving their views on how and when young people should receive
sex education and a government
consultation on the matter. But what
do young people think about when and what they are being taught about sex?
Young
people will give their views and debate the following themes on HeadsUp.org.uk
with their peers, legislators and decision makers:
- Is society too
sexualised? -
Is there too much emphasis on sex in the media and advertising? Is sex
really that important? Is pornography too easily available? Should we be
more open as a society when it comes to talking about sex?
- Teenage pregnancy - why do we have such high
teen pregnancy rates in the UK? Does it matter how old you
are when you have a baby? Is it better to be married before you have a
baby? Is teenage pregnancy over-emphasised by the media?
- Who do you want
to teach you about sex? - Is school the best place to learn about sex? Would
you like your parents to talk to you about sex more? What do you need to
know to help you make informed decisions? What's the right age to start
learning about sex?
- The age of consent - Do we have it right? Is there a better way to
decide who is responsible enough to have sex? Should there be a law about
age differences in relationships? Why does the age of consent differ
between countries?
HeadsUp is an online debating space for 11-18 year-olds,
from the Hansard Society, to
discuss their views on political issues with their peers and influential
decision-makers. It aims to build young people's levels of political awareness
and participation so that they can play an effective role in the democratic
processes affecting their lives. HeadsUp is also a space politicians can use to
consult with young people and find out their ideas, experiences and opinions.
Legislators and decision makers taking part so far are:
-
Annette Brooke MP (Liberal
Democrat shadow spokesperson for Children, Schools and Families)
- Mike Hancock MP
- Jenny Randerson AM (Welsh Liberal
Democrat Shadow Minister for Economy, Transport and Education)
- Janet Ryder AM (Chair of the Constitutional
Affairs Committee, Welsh Assembly)
- Bethan Jenkins AM (Plaid Cymru
Spokesperson for Child Poverty and Culture)
- Anna Martinez (Sex Education
Forum)
Editors' Notes
- HeadsUp (http://www.headsup.org.uk/) is an
innovative website where young people aged 11-18, debate political issues
and learn about the political process. The site is a non-partisan,
cross-party educational resource that provides a secure, structured and
student-centred
discussion platform. It includes information for students and lesson plans
and activities for teachers to ensure quality debate on the forums.
- Two
ways to register to participate
in HeadsUp:
- Young
People - If you are 11-18 and want to get in on the action you need to
complete the Student
Sign Up Form.
- Teachers/youth
workers - can register a whole class/school year/group by completing our Teachers
Registration Form.
- All
HeadsUp forums are open to be viewed and the debate followed by the
public. Participants need to register or login to post comments (11-18s
and supporting teachers/youth workers only).
- The
project is part-funded by the House of Commons.
- There
are currently 868 schools registered with HeadsUp.