over the past year is due to the new rulings of the Sexual Health Strategy. The money is going into teenage pregnancy. HIV has now become just one
aspect of what we teach about sexual health. In order to continue getting
into schools we have to concentrate less specifically on HIV and more
on general sex education."
Since 1995, the CWP team has done hundreds of workshops and follow-up
sessions for secondary and primary schools in east London boroughs like
Newham and Tower Hamlets, and is currently targeting 13 and 15 year-olds
in Hackney schools. Paula says: "It's a challenge to the normal way
teachers approach sex education."
For the 13-year-olds, the workshops include fun things like the 'Sexual
Health Card Game'. Then there's the condom session - "the one the
kids get extremely excited about," laughs Paula - where condom use
is demonstrated and kids get their turn to have a go.
The 15-year-olds are encouraged into more personal discussion about relationships
and pregnancy, parenting and STIs including HIV. Misconceptions surrounding
these subjects and prejudices like homophobia are confronted.
Feedback from these workshops has shown that most pupils valued them because
they got a 'detached' presentation and they did learn things they didn't
know before. Sometimes teachers are present - though some prefer not to
be!
What should teachers say?
"There is no standard practice of sex education in schools. Nothing
normal. Nowhere in the Sexual Health Strategy that discusses sex education
in schools properly.
page 3 of 7
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Teachers lack guidance. Children are the future. We need to target them next."
