Now MPs demand compulsory sex education

That thorniest of topics, sex education, is up for debate again after MPs recommended that all state primary and secondary schools should be required to teach the subject.

The Commons Education Committee said: “Young people have the right to information that will keep them safe.”

At present, primary schools are not required to go beyond basic biology, while the secondary curriculum mandates coverage of sexually transmitted diseases for boys and girls aged 14 to 16.

Committee chairman Graham Stuart said there was an overwhelming demand from teachers, parents and young people for sex education to become compulsory.

It would safeguard young people from abuse and protect the most vulnerable children, he said.

“Sex and relationship education builds character and resilience,” he said, “and will help young people live happy and healthy lives.”

The Labour Party said it will make sex education compulsory if it wins the General Election in May.

The MPs’ views are not universally welcomed.

The right-wing Daily Mail reported that children as young as 13 can get free condoms from the National Health Service by signing up to the C-card scheme.

This entitles the holder to six contraceptives.

Individuals can apply without consulting a nurse or doctor and the card is renewable.

Four years ago, a survey found that more than half of British parents did not approve of sex education for children.

The BabyChild website contacted 1,700 parents of children aged five to 11. Some 59 per cent said they disagreed with the practice, mostly because it was “inappropriate to teach children about sex.”

When asked at what age it was appropriate to teach sex education to children in schools, the largest number of parents (48 per cent) said 13 or older.

* * *

Earlier this month, I wrote about the mugging of Alan Barnes, a frail old man of 67.

Mr Barnes has weak vision, is only 4ft 6in (1.3 metres) in height and weighs just 84 lbs (38 kilos) as a result of his mother having German measles during pregnancy.

He was putting out his refuse bin when a man came from behind, shouted, “Give me your money” and pushed him down, breaking Alan’s collar bone. He fled empty-handed after searching his victim’s pockets.

Alan was frightened to live at home after that and moved in with his sister.

Katie Cutler, a 21-year-old beautician, was moved by Alan’s plight and started an online appeal to raise a few hundred pounds for the pensioner.

In fact, thousands poured in from all over the world and when the total reached £330,000 (Sh46.3 million), Alan asked for it to be stopped.

A cheque for this amount was presented to the old man at a ballroom event.

He said, “It is like a fairy story. You might read about it in a book, but it has come true.” He said he would give some money away and was thinking of buying a house nearer to Katie.

Then came the news item everyone was waiting for: Police arrested Richard Gatiss, aged 25, and charged him with assault and intent to rob.

He was remanded in custody for his own safety.

* * *

Two more warnings to women from London’s Metropolitan Police: If someone asks if you are interested in a bottle of perfume and gives you a tissue to smell it, please don’t. The paper is laced with drugs; you pass out and they rob or kidnap you.

You start your car engine then notice a piece of paper stuck to the rear window. You get out of the car to remove the paper and a car-jacker jumps into your seat and with the engine still running, speeds off. When you spot the paper, drive away and remove it later.

* * *

More dozy burglars… Paul Nolan, 28, sneaked into a family home and gathered up a lot of valuables while the family slept.

But Nolan was drunk and collapsed on the floor of a bedroom, where he was found by the woman of the house.

Bizarrely, the burglar asked for a drink and a cigarette. The wife and mother of two provided the drink but said he would have to smoke the ciggie outside. He left and she called the police, who promptly arrested him.

The sleepy thief was jailed for 13 months.

* * *

The vicar and the priest erected a sign which said: The end is near, turn yourself around, before it is too late.

As a car sped past, the driver leaned out of the window and shouted, “Leave people alone, you religious crackpots. We don’t need your lectures.”

From around the next curve there came a screeching of brakes and a big splash.

Shaking his head, Father Patrick said, “That’s the third one this morning.”

The pastor agreed. “Maybe the sign should just say: Bridge Closed.”

[email protected]