Littlemummy.com » national curriculum http://www.littlemummy.com Life, Parenting, Making a Living Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:15:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gay Lessons at 11: For or Against? http://www.littlemummy.com/2009/05/08/gay-lessons-at-11-for-or-against/ http://www.littlemummy.com/2009/05/08/gay-lessons-at-11-for-or-against/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 10:07:45 +0000 Erica http://www.littlemummy.com/?p=2103

The Daily Mail had a piece on the future changes to the national curriculum last week. The article was from the angle of children as young as eleven being taught about gay relationships.

Here is the new proposed curriculum;

Age 4 – 7

  • Physical changes to body
  • Personal hygiene
  • Understanding the different types of relationship they have
  • Healthy eating and physical exercise
  • How substances can help or harm the body
  • Controlling strong emotions and feelings
  • The different types of work people do
  • Ways to contribute to enterprise

    • Age 9 – 11

  • Human reproduction
  • Function of reproductive organs
  • Medicine, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
  • Physical activity and nutrition
  • How to manage changing emotions
  • Connections between their learning and the world of work
  • How people manage money

    • Age 11 – 14

  • Physical and emotional change & puberty
  • Sexual activity, human reproduction, contraception, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases
  • Drug, alcohol and tobacco use and misuse
  • Different types of relationships including same sex and civil
    partnerships
  • Healthy lifestyles
  • Managing money

    • Source: Daily Mail

    The Daily Mail has focused in on a perceived negative in their article when actually I think there’s a lot to be pleased about in this proposal. I particularly like the entrepreneurial theme that runs through the curriculum, including the ‘managing your money’ section, so many are in a dire situation at the moment and not all of it can be blamed on the economy. Poor money management has surely contributed to some of the issues many face. Formal teaching in this area is surely advantageous to us as a society.

    I also appreciate the focus on health, perhaps we as parents need to be a little more accepting of the sex education bit. They may be our babies but they are future adult citizens who will be free to act in any way they please with only their knowledge and (hopefully) morals to guide them. More knowledge is better than less, no?

    Finally, I don’t really get the big deal with learning about gay relationships at eleven anyway, am I on my own here?

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