When Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) was introduced to secondary schools a decade ago, it was aimed at helping young people to develop a healthy attitude towards sex. A number of tragic events provided the impetus for the move, such as the discovery of four newborn dead babies which had been abandoned by young mothers at outdoor locations between 1993 and 1995. These cases provided a grim reminder, in turn, of the Anne Lovett and Kerry Babies cases of the 1980s.
Despite controversy at the time, it was widely accepted that young people had the right to sex education, partly because it was a means of protecting them against unintended pregnancies, abuse and sexually-transmitted diseases. Yet, a decade on, a new study examining the implementation of sex education at post-primary level shows that one in 10 schools is not teaching the subject at all. In other schools in which it is taught, it is often in a patchy and inconsistent manner.
Some students report that while issues such as relationships are dealt with, sexuality is not addressed at all. Others say that their only experience of sex education was a single day-long session in the first year of school.
Despite perceptions to the contrary, numerous studies reveal a glaring lack of knowledge among teenagers on the subjects of sex, contraception, sexually-transmitted disease and reproductive physiology. Their desire to learn more is clear. One of the main findings of the Government's recent consultation with young people on the age of sexual consent was that students wanted a decent standard of compulsory sex education.
From the point of view of teachers and school managements, there are clear barriers to properly educating young people about sex. These include the crowded curriculum, discomfort among teachers at the content of the programme, the religious ethos of schools and the pressure to devote more time to exam subjects. However, a pattern has emerged among schools which are implementing the sex education programme effectively. These tend to have good leadership from the principal and board of management, along with clear policies on the teaching of the subject. On top of this, however, policy-makers and parents must play their part.
Education is essential for the development of skills which help young people to cope with the challenge of adolescence and to move confidently into the realm of sexual activity. A failure to help teenagers in this transition will continue to place them at increased risk of unplanned pregnancies, sexual abuse and contracting sexually-transmitted diseases.