Sex and relationship education : a proposal for the primary classroom

Abstract

The main purpose of our research is to study Sex and Relationship Education at the primary school level. In the first section, we will tackle issues of whether there should be Sex and Relationship Education in the primary school or not. This means investigating the advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a topic. We will explore different issues including pedagogy, content and organisation of syllabus, subject organisation, teachers' and parents' role as regards to this subject. Furthermore, we will analyse the situation of Sex and Relationship Education in the local context, through interviews with PSD staff and class teachers. This will enable us to get an insight about the attitudes, views and opinions of the main people concerned with this subject and become aware of any existing elements regarding sex and relationships in our national curriculum. We will research the curricula and educational documents of two European countries: England and Scotland that already include this type of education at primary level. This will give us a better idea of the situation in a foreign context. In the second section of our dissertation, we will conclude our study by tying research with practice i.e. presenting a proposed programme for the teaching of Sex and Relationship Education in primary schools.