Sex Instruction

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 471, 2 July 1948, Page 11

Sex Instruction

HE 4ZB Citizens’ Forum chose a '" sufficiently controversial topic in the question "Should Some Form of Sex Instruction be given in our Schools?" I imagine, however, that although only a few voices can be heard in the halfhour of these sessions, the voices we did hear represented the opinions of most of us. Few parents would want their children to remain totally ignorant on the subject of sex, even supposing that this were possible. But divergence of opinion exists on certain aspects of the question of how the child is to gain the knowledge. ¢ Who is to instruct the children? At what age should sex instruction be begun? What shall be the nature and extent of the instruction? Shall we impart sex knowledge at home, at school, or in special classes from which parents may elect to keep their children away if they so desire? All these, and other points, were brought into the discussion, but, as may be imagined, unanimity was impossible on most of them. The most that came out of the session was a general feeling that some form of sex instruction ought to be given, although

to entrust such a responsibility entirely to the teaching profession would raise innumerable difficulties. If parents wish their children to know what every child should know (according to one speaker, what most children probably know already), then in the opinion of most of the Forum, some form of parent-education on how to impart sex-knowledge would be a desirable preliminary step!