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Monday Oct 20, 2008
Sex and the Scouts
Was I the only person who saw the news that Scout leaders are going to start giving sexual health advice to the young people in their charge and wondered, not why are they doing that, but what have they been doing up to now?Sex education in this country is rubbish. There are pockets of brilliance, but too often sex education is taught by people who don't particularly want to, in the wrong setting (school) and in the wrong way ("I tell you this. You listen.").
Youth workers aren't just babysitters: they help young people develop as individuals through informal education. When I saw the headlines this morning, I couldn't help wondering whether tomorrow the papers would be leading with "Firemen to fight fires". Engaging with young people and educating them about their sexual health is *exactly* what youth leaders should be doing.
Much that I think PSE and Citizenship should be part of the national curriculum, it's not enough to simply fit it between Maths and Geography with some fact sheets and the odd video thrown in to make it interactive. Young people need to be given the space, time and right environment to explore their identity, and youth groups are excellent places to be doing this.
So, congratulations to the Scouts for teaching sex education; but stop being so apologetic for it.
Olly Posted by Olly Benson ( 3:48 PM ) Link to this post Comments[1]
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As an Explorer Scout Leader I couldn't agree more. In actuality, the Scout Association has merely been clarifying a number of grey areas in existing policy and seeking to give direction to any concerned Leaders or helpers in the movement.
We already have visits from representatives of the Terrence Higgins Trust to talk and AIDS/HIV, STIs and methods/use of contraception. And we also are prepared to have full and frank discussions on a wide variety of topics to help any of our members...
I am appalled by some of the comments that I have seen following this announcement. A number of commentators - particularly those quoted in the Daily Mail - seem to have some 50's idyllic view of Scouting as all knot tying and bob-a-job week. The reality is that the Movement has to alter with the times and we - certainly at the older end of the scale (14-18yo) - see our role as partly instilling our charges with life skills. They're at a very awkward period in their lives, making the transisiton from child to adulthood and anything that we can do to help make that change that bit easier - and help relieve any of the pressures that come with it - can surely only be a good thing.
It can only be the reactive, out-of-touch minority that still believe that Sex Education 'will only lead to the kids wanting to try it'. The simple facts are that the UK has the highest teenage birth rate in Western Europe and at least 10% of sexually active teenagers have STIs. Education can only therefore be a GOOD thing!
For those getting het up about this; Read the actual Scout factsheet (http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/pdfs/fs950000.pdf) and see what it actually says before you go off on one about 'promoting sex to 10 year olds'.
And as for the one commenter on the Mail website who said "This is what happens when you let girls in Scouting"... 1)Get over it 2)F### off!
Ahem. I have digressed slightly. To answer your original point: What were we doing before? Exactly this - only we've now clarified he policies and, for better or worse, publicised them.
And I, for one, think it's bloody marvellous.
Posted by Steven Clennell on October 21, 2008 at 05:20 PM GMT+00:00 #