Sir, - Father Tom Ingoldsby's letter (August 2nd) condemning sex education in schools horrifies me. He asserts that "such programmes have proved morally disastrous everywhere else." Where exactly did these programmes prove disastrous, and in what way? I would like Fr Ingoldsby to enlighten us.
As a parent of two children growing up in the US, and as a former teacher in this country, I am appalled to think that Fr Ingoldsby would prefer to have Irish children grow up confused and ill-prepared in a world where sexuality will not disappear overnight. A young person must be able to act in a morally responsible fashion: firstly, in his or her relationships with peers; and secondly, in the less romantic but ever-present situations of paedophilia, incest, rape and Aids, whether we are honest enough to admit these threats exist or not.
Yes, parents at home can and should be involved in guiding their own children in sexual matters. However, while I and others do what we can at home, the group setting of a school is ideal for reinforcing standards and utilising peer support. To deprive young Irish people of the knowledge and guidance of specially trained teachers is indeed a disservice to them.
In the US, where religion is not a school subject, the schools near us do an admirable job of giving students the understanding needed to make them morally responsible teenagers, as well as giving them enough knowledge to assist them in making confident decisions about right and wrong. Do Irish children deserve less?
Sex education is not an advertisement for sexual promiscuity, any more than a driving lesson is an encouragement to break the speed limit! Sex education is merely an acknowledgement of the fact that we are all sexual beings and must be responsible as such - following the moral "Rules of the Road" as we drive through sexual matters. In Ireland, where religion is a part of the school curriculum, the schools have an even greater responsibility to provide sex education since, one presumes, other moral issues are raised in that setting.
Fr Ingoldsby speaks of the rights of parents and children. I am all for both, and for this reason I want my daughters to know what sex is about, how to say "no" firmly, and how to prevent pregnancy. With that education I know that my "children's future and well-being" (Father Ingoldsby's words) will definitely be more assured than it would be without sex education. - Yours, etc.,
Helen Teevan Carmody,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.