Churches split over sex education

Controversial proposals to reform sex education in Scotland have divided the Catholic Church and the Kirk.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien has warned that the Scottish Executive faces a massive revolt if primary school children are offered more explicit sex education.

But the Church of Scotland said it supports the executive's approach.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm has moved to dampen the row, saying that inappropriate material would not be used in primary schools.

He also promised that sex education would not be taught to pre-school children.

Cardinal O'Brien has warned that the issue could become bigger than the Section 28 debate over the issue of teaching about homosexuality in schools.


He told one newspaper that if "graphic and intimate sexual instruction" was being offered to pre-pubescent or pre-school children it would amount to the "state sponsored sexual abuse of minors".

Catholic Church spokesman Peter Kearney added: "We have a conventional wisdom on sexual policy and the cardinal believes this policy is in crisis.

"For 10 to 15 years we have had a non-judgemental, value-free approach and we have to accept, by any measure, that it has utterly failed."

But Mr Chisholm said there would be a strong value underpinning the policy.


There will be a strong focus on relationship education and that is where young children can be taught values such as respect for other people
Malcolm Chisholm
Health Minister

He argued it would be based on respect, "respect for self and respect for others and strong respectful and stable relationships".
Mr Chisholm said it would encourage young people to delay having sex, but it would also be about health promotion and education.

He added: "There will not be sex education for toddlers, there is no question of that.

"But this is not just a sex strategy, it is a sex and relationships strategy, there will be a strong focus on relationship education and that is where young children can be taught values such as respect for other people.

"But this is not sex education for pre-school children as people understand it.

"The Catholic Church may be critical of what it fears might be in the strategy.

Morals 'eroded'

"We have to set the general direction of the strategy, but in terms of guidelines it will still be up to individual schools to interpret those guidelines."

The Catholic Church's stance is backed by the Muslim Association of Britain.

Osama Saeed, the association's Scottish spokesperson, said: "There is a feeling that morals have been eroded unchecked for too many years and it is welcome that a proper debate be had about what is healthy in regards to the education of our children and how our future generations will be shaped.


"We look forward to supporting Cardinal O'Brien in his efforts to defeat these proposals in the coming period."
However, the Church of Scotland did not add its voice to the protest.

Morag Mylne, convener of the Kirk's church and nation committee, said: "This isn't state-sponsored sexual abuse.

"The executive, I think, is taking the issue of sex education and sexual health more generally very seriously."

And the Scottish Trades Union Congress described Cardinal O'Brien's approach as "most concerning and confusing".

Appropriate strategy

Its assistant secretary, Mary Senior, said: "Rather than approaching this complex and sensitive subject in a sensitive and mature way, the cardinal appears to be frightening parents and raising concerns that are completely unfounded.

"With the numbers of people contracting sexually transmitted infections increasing, it is right that the executive develops an appropriate strategy to address this."

The executive held a consultation period on its draft sexual health strategy earlier this year and it aims to publish its final strategy in the autumn.

Police appeal over sex assaults

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following two separate sexual assaults on women in the city.
A 15-year-old girl was attacked in Carrickknowe Golf Course at about 2200 BST on Saturday, 28 August.

Another incident a week earlier on Saturday, 21 August saw a 21-year-old woman assaulted in the city's Home Street at about 0300 BST.

The attacks are not linked and Lothian and Borders Police have issued descriptions of both men involved.

The teenager had been out with friends when she became separated from them and was approached by a man who indecently assaulted her near the entrance to Glendevon Park.

Her attacker is described as a white male in his mid twenties, over 6ft tall, with dark hair, balding on top, and with a scar on his cheek.

Hanging around

He was wearing jeans, brown suede tasselled jacket and white trainers.

In the other attack, a woman had been using the phone box outside the Cameo Cinema when she noticed a man hanging around outside.

He followed her into a common stair on Home Street where she was indecently assaulted. The woman called out and was helped by a witness who chased the man towards Lothian Road but lost sight of him.

He is described as dark skinned, 25 to 30-years-old, with dark coloured wavy hair, dark eyes and was wearing a black sleeveless mesh-style vest and beige trousers.

Anyone with information on either incident is being urged to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 556 9270 .

Two men wanted after sex attack

A woman was sexually assaulted by two men in the early hours of Sunday, police have said.
The 29-year-old was approached in the Adelaide Street area of Preston just after midnight by two men in a white hatchback car.

She was driven to the Capitol Centre at Walton-le-Dale where she was sexually assaulted, threatened and robbed.

Detectives say the woman is very distressed and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The men are described as Asian and in their late 20s or early 30s.

Sex education plan angers faiths

The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) has joined the Catholic Church in condemning new sex education proposals for Scottish schools.
It follows a warning from Cardinal Keith O'Brien that the Scottish Executive faces a massive revolt over the strategy.

He claimed it would mean detailed sex education for nursery pupils and wider access to contraception.

First Minister Jack McConnell said that no such plans have been put in place.

But the MAB said it shared the same concerns as the cardinal.

Osama Saeed, the association's Scottish spokesperson, said: "There is a feeling that morals have been eroded unchecked for too many years and it is welcome that a proper debate be had about what is healthy in regards to the education of our children and how our future generations will be shaped.

"We look forward to supporting Cardinal O'Brien in his efforts to defeat these proposals in the coming period."


Mr McConnell said: "There is no suggestion that there should be sex education for very young children in Scotland and it is wrong to suggest that is the case."

He also said there was no truth in the claims that the executive would hand out the morning after pill in Scotland's schools.

The cardinal has appealed to the executive to reject any approach which targets primary and pre-school children and he said any strategy which does, amounts to "child abuse".

A consultation by the executive on sex education plans ends next month.


SEX EDUCATION
The cardinal suggests that we are going to have sex education for under fives which I can absolutely guarantee any parent that is simply not going to happen
Jack McConnell
First Minister

A sexual health strategy will then be drawn up by Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm.
In the Sunday Times newspaper, the cardinal said that if sex education plans were introduced to nursery and primary children, parents in the Roman Catholic Church would revolt.

He warned that the issue could become bigger than the Section 28 debate over the issue of teaching about homosexuality in schools.

He told the newspaper: "The Section 28 debate could become a mere flicker compared to the protests of parents determined to preserve their children's innocence and protect their childhood.

"Parents are rightly appalled at the idea of pre-pubescent, far less pre-school children, being provided with graphic and intimate sexual instruction.

"Should such material be used it would amount to the state sponsored sexual abuse of minors."

The church is already in discussion with other religious bodies to present a united front against the proposals.

And the cardinal will be asking Catholic head teachers to oppose the strategy as well as ask the public to write to their MSPs.

'Great ambassador'

Mr McConnell said: "I want to reassure everybody that any policy that is introduced in Scotland will be based firmly, fundamentally at its very core on respect between young boys and girls, on teaching youngsters to respect each other.

"It will encourage them to have decent relationships and teach them that it is not necessary in order to have a good relationship as a teenager to get involved in sexual activity."

He added: "I have a great respect for Cardinal O'Brien, I think he is a great ambassador for Scotland and he is a great leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics.

"He mentions the morning after pill being given to teenagers. But we have made it absolutely clear that must not happen in schools to those who are under that age of 16 and that is a policy that is being properly administered across Scotland.

"He also suggests that we are going to have sex education for under fives which I can absolutely guarantee any parent that is simply not going to happen."