Sex education opt-out 'should be axed'

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to remove parents legal right to pull sons and daughters out of lessons. The comments from health campaigners follow a Government decision to make sex and relationships education compulsory in all primary and secondary schools from 2011. Under plans, infants aged five to seven will learn about the simple physical changes to their bodies and the differences between boys and girls. Between seven and nine, they will be taught about puberty and relationships, while pupils in the final two years of primary school will learn about human reproduction. Currently, parents have the right to withdraw their children from sex education, although only four out of every 10,000 currently employ the opt-out. Sex education charities are appealing for the Government to ban parents from removing children. Telegraph