Sex Education: Principles, Policy and Practice

Description

Sex education is rarely out of the news. Despite this, there exist surprisingly few studies of the principles, policies and practice of sex education. This book provides such an examination, focusing on the values to which children are exposed in sex education. Throughout the book, academic and professional literature on both values and sex education is reviewed and discussed. The authors look at the implicit liberal values, which underpin programmes of sex education, and at the challenges presented by the diversity of values in contemporary society. The book also considers: * Why values are central to sex education * Children's voices and children's values * Religious and family values * Achievable aims for school sex education * How to help young people to reflect critically on the influences to which they are exposed and on their own developing sexual values * How to build values into practical approaches to sex education at both primary and secondary levels. This timely book will help all those involved in sex education to steer a path between controversial and often opposing views and will be essential reading for students on PGCE and BEd courses. It will also be a valuable resource for teachers and professionals involved in teaching sex education such as PSHE teachers, form tutors, heads of year, school nurses, health workers and academics.

Mark Halstead is Professor of Moral Education at the University of Plymouth. Michael Reiss is Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University fo London and is inaugural editor of the journal Sex Education.

'The book has a clear focus, a specific angle, on values and on how sex educators are to arrive at the decisions they must make about the material to teach, and as far as I know there is no other similar material in the field.' - Lynda Measor, University of Brighton