Sex Ed in Irish schools

HouseHippo · 04-02-2009 02:05PM

Wagon wrote: »

Useless eh? Fair play for complaining but when you're 18 (or even me at 22) it doesn't really get you anywhere. If a parent does it then it might work but the education system is a joke here, especially when religion is bought into it which it normally is.

Yeah tell me about it...Clearly in this situation i know better than the adult but am still treated like a child

Biggins · 04-02-2009 02:05PM

Love to know what school it is or at least what area?
I have 3 daughters who will be attending such schools and that one I want to avoid like the plague.
PM me and I post it on my own website - stuff them.
These religious(?) quacks need to be exposed for their clear mis-teaching!

seamus · 04-02-2009 02:10PM

I would say you should get onto Joe about this. It would be a national furore - you'd have the people saying that sex ed classes should actually involve sex, the bible bashers saying that we should figure out how to detach penises from men until they're married and all the rags trying to get the government to do something about it.

It would be far more fun than listening to recession talk all the bloody time.

Wagon · 04-02-2009 02:15PM

HouseHippo wrote: »

Yeah tell me about it...Clearly in this situation i know better than the adult but am still treated like a child

Actually, she probably knows as much as you and is just in denial that these methods work which is even worse. It's one of the huge problems I have with organised religion nowadays. Saying that contraception doesn't work and is "evil" is bang out of order when it saves lives and prevents unwanted pregnancy. I knew some extremely religious people and I have to admit, just knowing them puts you off the idea of following any religious path.

Genghiz Cohen · 04-02-2009 02:35PM

This is the thread of the day, look how it has united Boardsies against stupid outdated teaching methods.

That teacher really needs to be sacked. Get a group to complain HouseHippo, strength in numbers and all that.

c - 13 · 04-02-2009 02:37PM

We got sex education at the end of primary school, it wasnt very good though, couldnt sit for days after

c - 13 · 04-02-2009 02:41PM

Seriously though I finished primary in 1996 (I think) and we got a series of videos that had been filmed sometime in the early 80's I reckon as our sex ed.

It dealt reasonably well with the puberty side of things but I cant remember anything in it on contraception or STD's.

In secondary school (mainly around transition year) the religion teachers did a bit on it, mostly on the STD side of things.

A touch on it in the biology classes.

Some of the girls in the class told us they got a full detailed talk on everything from contraception to STD's from the home economics teachers though (this was before fellas were allowed to do home ec).

Kya1976 · 04-02-2009 02:45PM

I think it's concerning the lack of sex ed in Irish schools. An ex of mine worked with young kids and he heard some shocking things. For example some of them thought that you couldn't get preggers if you have sex while standing up or if it's your first time.
Sure the sex ed I had was prolly a little over the top(we got to watch porn) but still at leats I was thought the basics and more.

The Mad Hatter · 04-02-2009 02:52PM

1) The most effective method of contraception is condoms.

2) wtf is the rhythm method?

This country's (well, tbh, most countries') juvenile approach to sex and sexuality is causing serious problems.

Holsten · 04-02-2009 02:54PM

I got two goes of sex ed, in 6th Class and again in 4th Year, both were pretty good actually.

Even in 6th class going over things like contraception and trying to answer a load of questions from a bunch of 12 year olds.

Fad · 04-02-2009 03:04PM

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

1) wtf is the rhythm method?

That and "Natural Contraception" are the only contraceptive methods permitted by the Catholic Church (It permitting any contraception is a bit of a farce, all or nothing imo), according to my Bio book.

Rhythm, is predicting fertile periods based on previous menstrual cycles.

Natural is measuring the Temp of the vag and then something about the consistancy of vaginal secretions, hideous stuff:)

The ONLY thing that could be described as sex ed (me being in 6th year now), that I have recieved is that wee section in the Biology chapter. That chapter also features a picture of some of the methods (completely unsexy) and in the corner theres a shot of a Depo Provera box, my theory is that the Catholic Church are trying to cause some brand association with teens, so if they use contraception, they'll go for the Contraceptive injection, go for Depo Provera, and get a loss of bone density, and the CC will be all "God has stripped you of you bone density, become a nun NOW!". Something like that

mercuroman · 04-02-2009 03:13PM

javaboy wrote: »

This wouldn't be a religious school by any chance would it?

Think thats a bit unfair - Father Bart taught me all I needed to know

SarcasticFairy · 04-02-2009 03:14PM

Woah. I got pretty decent sex ed in comparison to all that nonsense.

In 6th class, we got the whole puberty and hormones, and this is how you make babies talk & I think there was a video. Don't think there was much said on contraception/STDs though.

In 1st year, and then again in 2nd year, in SPHE we were told all about contraception and STDs. In proper detail, with what works and how - the Natural Contraception thing was mentioned in a kind of, this is only reliable if you're going to abstain tbh. Our teacher went through a heap of STDs and what exactly they'd lead to if you caught them/didn't treat them.

And of course Science and then Biology went through it quickly, because the teacher was quite embarrassed.

Fad · 04-02-2009 03:26PM

SarcasticFairy wrote: »

And of course Science and then Biology went through it quickly, because the teacher was quite embarrassed.

Our teacher, a tiny women, early 50's maybe, went into it in surprising detail :pac:.(All boys school)

Biggins · 04-02-2009 03:28PM

While I am quite shocked that this out of date teaching is going on still, sadly it does not surprise me to a certain extent that warped minded teachers still exist. While they are thankfully few and far between, its a reminder that such things can be allowed to exist if education standards are allowed to go unmonitored

Professey Chin · 04-02-2009 03:28PM

deisebabe wrote: »

that is hilarious. What morons are teaching this?

When i was doing my junior cert one of the girls in my class had a baby...thats what 15/16. On doing the leaving cert there was two pregnant girls doing the exams. My school never talked about sex with us. It was a convent school and they did however speak of the evils of abortion and alcohol all the time. We even had to watch abortion videos. It was horrific.

Goin by your name i assume waterford.
What school?

04-02-2009 03:30PM

We got a day in 6th class, it was OK, but for some reason a mixed class were shown a video called "Sex Education For Girls", so lots about tampons etc. but no instructions on how to use a condom - how many bastards did that video give rise to? Taught by a rather odd woman in her 50s who told us "don't do anything God wouldn't want you to do"; I think we were expected to fill in the blanks.

Biggins · 04-02-2009 03:34PM

Currently doing a dig around but in the meantime, posted an article at http://www.unitedpeople.ie/

Professey Chin · 04-02-2009 03:35PM

Actually I vaguely remember we were supposed to have sex ed as part of SPSE when I went into secondary school but after about 4 months(if even) that class was replaced by an extra history class or somethin an never heard from again.
For such an apparently knowledge based country we really are archaic(sp?) in some basic areas. Then they b!tch about high pregnancy rates etc etc.
Can we blame Batt? I love goin after politicians

Tupins · 04-02-2009 03:47PM

jaxy999 wrote: »

I remember when I was about 11 or 12 my Dad giving out to my mam about the local priest & the sermon he gave at sunday mass coz he mentioned S.E.X & all the children in the church, as Dad put it, he actually spelt it, he wouldn't say the word sex in front of us kids!! The same priest left the priesthood and is now a local radio DJ who has a boyfriend

LOL

:D:D

In our school it was the responsibility of your class religion teacher to give sex-ed in around 2nd year as I recall. We were unfortunate enough to have this anally-retentive male teacher (all girls school), who was completely out of touch with young people but thought he was quite 'hip' (think of a balding, irish version of Ricky Gervais character in The Office, but less cool).

Anyway, he came in one day with these books which he passed around to everyone. There was much guffawing when we realised what the books were - I remeber it being illustrated like a childrens book, with cartoon characters etc and saying things like "when mammy and daddy love eachother very much, they lie very close together..." etc etc.

Conveniently enough a student came to the door before the class had even begun and said our teacher was wanted for a phone call. So basically he left and didn't come back until the bell went at the end of class and said "have ye all read the book?" to which we replied "yes" so he took them back and went on his way. It was so obvious that he had engineered the phone call.

That was my sex education!

Das Kitty · 04-02-2009 03:49PM

I think there's a mixture of embarrassment on the part of teachers, pressure from parents to keep their darlings innocent, lobbying from catholic groups, and a general head in the sand approach from the government.

I got no sex education per-se. We went through the mechanics of baby making in biology, no talk of contraception, no talk of emotions, no talk of anything outside of the basics. The teacher was mortified to be telling us this stuff.

All my Mam told me was about menstruation.

I found out pretty much everything from Just17 magazine in the early 90s. I remember having to get an older girl to get the "contraception issue" for me because you needed to be flaming 16 to buy that issue in this country! To look at photos of dental dams and femidoms!

What is it about the Irish mentality that makes us so embarrassed all the time? I do my part in helping the country out by spilling out the contents of my often filthy mind without shame.

Biggins · 04-02-2009 04:05PM

My official sex education was one call on how female eggs were fertilised using the male sperm on a blackboard, using very basic graphics of internal organs - and that was it.

Like most, by that stage I knew more to how a woman got "fertilised" than the technical spin that was put on it in the science books.

otwb · 04-02-2009 04:18PM

leeroybrown wrote: »

Get some parents to write a written complaint to the school's board of management.

Second this. Is it not on the curriculum or was that only primary schools???? (either way should have been well covered by now under SPHE/RSE)

Toto Wolfcastle · 04-02-2009 04:22PM

That's more than a bit ridiculous OP.

My first years told me today that they were doing sex ed at the moment.

"Oh my God, miss, we have to look at diagrams in the next class. It's so embarrassing!"

We had a good laugh at how things are explained to kids recently. One handout had important words like 'penis' and 'testicles' in bold. Just in case the kids missed them.

dlambirl · 04-02-2009 04:31PM

I cant believe that that information was given out in a school in 2009.

I dont think we ever recieved sexual education in our school. I think the only time any teacher said "intercourse" it was in leaving certificate biology and thats just biology not sexual education i.e. in relation to contraception.

And, as the OP says that is clearly too late in 5/6th year to be giving general (and downright wrong) sexual education infomation as it is too late at that age as alot of kids that age have already tried sex and some (IMO as a result of being uninformed) pregnant/parents

nomorebadtown · 04-02-2009 04:31PM

seamus wrote: »

I would say you should get onto Joe about this

dead right!
seriously OP, that is a total disgrace! i would definitly email joe duffy ( joe@rte.ie ) - the only socio-political mouthpiece open to the general public in ireland and outline what you were 'tought' about 'sex'...i cant believe this crap still goes on!

ec18 · 04-02-2009 04:35PM

Holsten wrote: »

I got two goes of sex ed, in 6th Class and again in 4th Year, both were pretty good actually.

Even in 6th class going over things like contraception and trying to answer a load of questions from a bunch of 12 year olds.

I had something similar. In both 6th Class and Fifth year I think. Sex ed was done by doctors from the sti clinic in the hospital. Talked about everything from STI's to contraception and at what times girls were most fertile. Surprisingly detailed for a religious school.

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Actually I vaguely remember we were supposed to have sex ed as part of SPSE when I went into secondary school but after about 4 months(if even) that class was replaced by an extra history class or somethin an never heard from again.
For such an apparently knowledge based country we really are archaic(sp?) in some basic areas. Then they b!tch about high pregnancy rates etc etc.
Can we blame Batt? I love goin after politicians

Same with me cspe was replaced by history one week and geography the next. When we did it it was about the EU

Das Kitty wrote: »

I think there's a mixture of embarrassment on the part of teachers, pressure from parents to keep their darlings innocent, lobbying from catholic groups, and a general head in the sand approach from the government.

I got no sex education per-se. We went through the mechanics of baby making in biology, no talk of contraception, no talk of emotions, no talk of anything outside of the basics. The teacher was mortified to be telling us this stuff.

All my Mam told me was about menstruation.

I found out pretty much everything from Just17 magazine in the early 90s. I remember having to get an older girl to get the "contraception issue" for me because you needed to be flaming 16 to buy that issue in this country! To look at photos of dental dams and femidoms!

What is it about the Irish mentality that makes us so embarrassed all the time? I do my part in helping the country out by spilling out the contents of my often filthy mind without shame.

I think a lot of the irish embarrasment about these subjects is due to the conservative mindset and control the church had up until the 90s really. There is still a very conservative mindset among some of the older generation that grew up in that time.

otwb wrote: »

Second this. Is it not on the curriculum or was that only primary schools???? (either way should have been well covered by now under SPHE/RSE)

Should be on the curriculum. Sex ed and basic driving should be covered on the curriculum

Professey Chin · 04-02-2009 04:38PM

ec18 wrote: »

Same with me cspe was replaced by history one week and geography the next. When we did it it was about the EU

Sorry. Got mixed up between CSPE and SPHE.
It was 10 years ago and I cant remember last week:(

Fast_Mover · 04-02-2009 04:43PM

RSE is a strand in the SPHE primary school curriculum. From infants right through to 6th class.

ec18 · 04-02-2009 04:44PM

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Sorry. Got mixed up between CSPE and SPHE.
It was 10 years ago and I cant remember last week:(

sadly it's nearly the same for me

Sex Ed in Irish schools

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