Pupils may give sex education views

Mar 5 2013

Schoolchildren in Scotland could be asked for their views on the effectiveness of sex education classes.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said he was "very open" to asking pupils how the lessons can be improved.

Answering questions from Holyrood's Health Committee about teenage pregnancies in Scotland, he highlighted the "complex issues behind teenage pregnancy".

He said: "Preventing teenage conceptions can not be achieved by health intervention alone and we need to better acknowledge the role of deprivation, inequality and lack of aspiration and opportunity can have."

Tory MSP Nanette Milne said that a young mother told them that schools still fail to provide teenagers with enough education about relationships.

"The young mums we spoke to this morning, they were unanimous in saying there is still not really relationship education. There is plenty about the biological side of sex but not about relationships," she said.

Mr Matheson conceded there are "mixed reports about the nature of relationship and sexual education in schools, which we have to reflect upon".

He said: "One of the things that struck me is whether the approach we are taking around relationship and sexual health education in schools, whether we should audit the views of young people on just how effective it is, we should ask them how effective it is and also what could be done to improve it."

Such work can "produce some interesting suggestions around the change in approach that could be taken".

Committee members have been investigating the issue of teenage pregnancies after figures last year showed a key Scottish Government target for reducing these among under-16s was missed. Ministers hoped to cut the pregnancy rate in this age group to 6.8 pregnancies per 1,000 girls by 2010. But the pregnancy rate for that year was 7.1 per 1,000, the same as in 2009.