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Ages five and above to get sex education in UK

09-11-2009

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UK's school children will be given sex education from the age of five, and although parents can keep their kids out of the classes on moral and religious grounds, this right to opt out ends when their children turn 15.

The move is aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates, the Telegraph reported.

Faith schools will also be forced to teach all aspects of the new style curriculum, including same sex relationships, contraception and abortion, although (government) ministers insisted they could stage lessons within the "tenets of their faith."

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said: "You can teach the promotion of marriage, you can teach that you shouldn't have sex outside of marriage, what you can't do is deny young people information about contraception outside of marriage.

"The same arises in homosexuality. Some faiths have a view about what in religious terms is right and wrong, what they can't do though is not teach the importance of tolerance."

Under the plans, children as young as five will learn about body parts and differences between boys and girls. In secondary school, pupils will study sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, marriage and civil partnerships, a report on zeenews.com said.

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=17564