Stories about education from around the world.

An orgy of education

Officials at the University of California at Berkeley have suspended a course on male sexuality amid allegations that students last semester engaged in an orgy, took graphic pictures and watched a student teacher have sex onstage at a gay strip club.

Officials were also investigating a female sexuality course, but its sessions have been allowed to continue.

The classes are among the courses known as "democratic education at Cal" or "de-cal". Their subjects range from The Simpsons to the Grateful Dead to foreign policy since September 11th. Though they are overseen by faculty and offer elective credits, they're taught by students - allowing curious undergraduates to venture beyond the standard subjects in the course catalogue.

"I ask friends of mine who go to other schools what classes they take and they say 'Oh, you know, biology,' and I just blow them out of the water when I say 'Well, I took a course on Blaxploitation films and Star Wars'," said 18-year-old freshman Tim Shoffner.