Labour MP Lucy Powell has slammed Philip Davies for comments he made to Parliament that suggested sex education was leading to more teenage pregnancies.
The Tory MP claimed a teen baby boom had occurred in recent years as a result of sex education provided in schools – although recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show the rate is at its lowest since 1969.
Ms Powell blasted the Tory MP for ‘talking nonsense’ and suggested he should ‘get out a bit more’ instead of ‘sitting in Parliament spouting rubbish’.
She told MM: “Philip Davies is talking nonsense. He should get out a bit more and speak to young people rather than sitting in Parliament spouting this rubbish.
“I did an event with young people this week where they underlined again passionately and sensibly the need to be given age appropriate sex and relationship education to equip them for later life.
“Labour has long campaigned for the introduction of age appropriate compulsory sex and relationship education in all state schools. The other political parties have voted against our amendments to put this in place during this Parliament.”
She added: “Our sex and relationship advice for young people is out of date and not fit for the modern digital world. Young people should have the tools and support they need to make informed decisions about their own lives.”
However, Philip Davies suggested the matter should be left down to parents and said they should be solely responsible for providing their children with sexual education.
One organization helping to drive sexual education in the community is Yes-Matters, a Bolton-based group which aims to inform youngsters about sex, raise awareness of consent, and promote healthy relationships and respect.
Gemma Aitchison, founder of the organisation, told MM: “We have a very basic programme in this country at the moment which means the thing that is teaching our kids about sex is pornography.
“When you watch porn they don’t use condoms; they don’t have conversations before hand; it’s often violent and degrading. So our children aren’t being educated properly by that and that’s what is leading to pregnancies, because they don’t understand that if you X, Y and Z you’re going to get pregnant.
“But we live in a very sexualised society now and pornography isn’t only in an adult environment anymore – it’s in advertising, films, everywhere. So if that’s what our children are being exposed to we need to give them the tools they need to manage and understand what they should expect of themselves and of others.”
Gemma and the team campaigned for a compulsory personal, social and health education programme (PSHE) to be part of the mandatory national curriculum earlier this year.
The 27-year-old set up the Yes-Matters movement in 2013 after her sister, Sasha Marsden, was brutally stabbed to death and set on fire in an alleyway in Blackpool, aged 16.
Ms Aitchison has previously had meetings with Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and Bolton West MP Julie Hilling about the sexual objectification of women in society.
Gemma told MM: “We need to teach children from a young age about things like consent and teach them that this is your body, nobody is allowed to touch you unless you say so and you respect other people and don’t touch them unless they want you to.
“We have books for primary school children because you know when you say the words sex education people have the misconception that we’re going to go in with Jenna Jameson and a ‘how to’ guide, which is just not the case.
“I don’t understand how Philip Davies can say that sex education increases teen pregnancy when we don’t have compulsory sex education in this country in the first place, so what is he basing that on? It’s not an informed opinion at all, is it? If we inform children about sex education properly then we can ensure they make the best decisions.”
She added: “That’s why it’s absolutely vital that sex education is made compulsory in schools so we can talk about what makes healthy relationships and about the matter of consent and how to respect yourself and others.”
For more information about Yes-Matters visit: http://www.yes-matters.co.uk/
Image courtesy of of BPenn005, with thanks
