The Daily Mail has reported that a class of and eight-year-olds were made to watch a cartoon showing a cartoon couple chasing each other around a bed and having sex. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255483/Parents-anger-class-seven-year-olds-shown-graphic-sex-cartoon-school.html
The DVD, part of Channel 4's sex education DVD, Living and Growing, was shown to pupils at East Wold Church of England Primary School in Lincolnshire.
http://www.east-wold.lincs.sch.uk/
Mother Lisa Bullivant, from Legbourne,
Lincolnshire
, has taken her daughter out of the school and placed her with another school.
Mrs Bullivant said: 'The cartoon was very graphic. My daughter was frightened and children have unfortunately been copying what they have seen. Parents should have been given the decision of whether the video should have been shown or not.
'Seven to nine-year-olds should not possess this knowledge. There is no educational or psychological benefit or need for children of this age to have full knowledge of what sexual intercourse actually entails.'
A voice-over on the DVD describes the sex as 'exciting'.
It appears the school did send parents a letter saying they could view the film before it was shown to pupils, but the Mail says Mrs Bullivant and several other parents were unable to attend the screening.
She said: 'We had no reason to think we needed to. You never think in a million years that would be taught to seven-year-olds.
'We had faith in the head teacher and the school that all they would be learning would be basic puberty. It should have said in the letter children would learn how to have sexual intercourse.'
Mrs Bullivant has complained to head teacher Lesley Thornes and the school's governors, and now wants a meeting with the director of education at
Lincolnshire
council. Mrs Thornes refused to comment.
The School's Sex and Relationships Education Policy says: 'As we are a
Church
School
, the Governors also feel strongly that all work undertaken should encourage all pupils to have due regard for moral considerations and emphasize the value of family life.' There is no mention of family or marriage in the 'Living and Growing' DVD shown to the children. A reasonable person would probably conclude, after reading the East Wold SRE policy, that 'Living and Growing' contravenes it.
http://www.schools-online.co.uk/_site_images/cu_1193/381692_l.doc
The School's latest Ofsted report said 'Pupils thrive because the school's Christian values create a caring ethos.'
It will probably come as no surprise that one Debbie Barnes, who is 'assistant director of children's services' at the council, said: 'The DVD has been recommended for use in schools by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and is seen as appropriate for the age group.'
She continued: 'We are sorry Mrs Bullivant has taken this view, but we are happy with the school's approach in using the DVD for the benefit of its pupils and their education.'
Thousands of the Channel 4 sex education packs have been sold to primary schools and primary care trusts across the country. A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'Living and Growing has been in the marketplace for nearly ten years and has been very well-received by the educational community.' No surprise there either. Further jargon was to come. 'Living and Growing was developed in response to requests for a resource that promotes sex and relationship education as a developmental process.'
The Channel 4 spokesman said further that the DVD is part of 'the healthy schools curriculum' and claimed it deals with 'one of the most sensitive themes' 'in a factual and age-appropriate way.'
Despite that claim, the video is up on YouTube but only to those who sign in and confirm they are 18 or over and will not be shocked by explicit sexual material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOrfEDuyehY
PRAY: That parents will not be fooled by what the sex educators say, but will apply their common-sense and protect their children. That the Governors will realise they have presided over little less than child sexual abuse and will throw out 'Living and Growing' altogether.
