Taken from: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2008/10/21/33915_tasmania-news.html


AD hoc sex education in schools is putting Tasmanian students at greater risk of teenage pregnancy, a researcher says.

"Too often teachers are left to teach sex education when they have little or no training in the field," University of Tasmania PhD graduate Jo Winckle said.

Dr Winckle spent three years observing sex education classes in primary and secondary schools and colleges.

She found many sex education lessons were fact-based and biological, and ignored issues like ethics, emotions and moral obligation.

Sexual diversity was rarely discussed and girls were often silenced while boys felt encouraged to dominate.

Dr Winckle found sexual stereotypes, sexual innuendo and sexist language dominated classes.

She said a lack of discussion about sexual diversity could promote homophobia and bullying and lead to depression, self-harm or suicide in students unsure about their sexuality.

However, Dr Winckle said teachers did a great job and the Education Department's new Health and Wellbeing syllabus was excellent.

"But a good, strong syllabus is not enough," she said.

Teachers needed support and training to develop skills, Dr Winckle said.

"The whole notion of why we want to have sex, the role of emotions in sexual relationships, the issue of consensual and non-consensual sex were typically absent from the sex education classes I observed," she said.