Sex-ed up!

Channel 4, 11 September 2008, 6pm - 9pm  

How and when should we teach our children about sex? Earlier this month the FPA (formerly the Family Planning Association) and Brook - which provides sexual health advice to under 25’s - called for sex and relationship education to become compulsory in primary and secondary schools.

It sparked off huge controversy with critics arguing that this would compromise childhood innocence, encourage underage sex, increase rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Advocates of sex education argue instead that children have a right to know about the emotional and physical changes of puberty and that we have the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe because kids know too little not too much.

This autumn Channel 4 is running a season of programmes and projects which take a fresh look at teenagers their sexual awareness and relationships.

As part of this series we are hosting a public debate on 11 September to put these contested issues under the spotlight.

Speakers include (subject to change):

Dr Terri Apter - social psychologist at Cambridge University

Anna Martinez - Sex Education Forum

Dr Petra Boynton – sex and relationship psychologist

Lynette Burrows - Author of "The Fight for the Family"

Katrina Mather - "SRE: Are you getting it?" campaign, UK Youth Parliament