Councillors asked the City of Edinburgh Council for an end to a controversial sex study aimed at fourteen-year-olds.
Local authorities rejected the Scottish Government’s online Health and Wellbeing Census for P5-6 children. The questionnaire included questions about sexual activity and asked if pupils have been to anal sex.
The Government claims that it will assist local authorities in identifying and driving forward improvements to local areas and monitoring the effects of those changes on the health and well-being of youth.
Concerns have been expressed about questions that children will ask about relationships and sex in the teen years.
This survey will reach students from S4 to S8. Students could also be 14 years old. It asks questions about sexual experience, such as “how many, if anything, have you ever had?”The survey asks students about their first experience with sex.
This survey asks young adults about their experiences with oral sex, sexual practices, and contraceptive use.
Councillors asked the City of Edinburgh Council for an end to a controversial sex study that was aimed at students aged 14 years. It asks questions about sexual health, relationships, and other topics.
Callum Laidlaw, Conservative councillor, said that a “significant” number of parents are concerned about the questionnaire.
He explained that there are already good health and wellness in our classrooms so it is not about those things. But it is about asking individual questions to children.
It’s more than just about types of sex. The question also includes ‘Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?’.
You will be uncomfortable because you are asking personal questions.
“I personally believe some of the questions that I have gathered are being asked by local authorities. They will also be used to determine whether they are appropriate for Edinburgh.
Pupils will complete the survey during school hours. Although they won’t be required to enter their names, they will need to give their SCN number. Schools and councils could then use this information to help identify concerns and provide support.
This survey, which was developed by the Scottish Government in its National Health and Wellbeing Census, is targeted at children aged 5 to 6. Photo: Scottish Parliament
Councillor Laidlaw said: “The kind of questions being asked about sexual activity and relationships. I believe they’re legitimate concerns that many parents and the Children and Young Persons Commissioner for Scotland had.
“They are being asked for specific information about their sexual experiences, their relationships, and how the census uses their candidate number.
“It is still unclear to me how anonymous this is, and when an intervention would occur. It’s said that there would be one if something is of concern. How is that determined within the context of the Census?
“That’s unclear to me.” Asking young people such questions in class raises many concerns about the way young people respond to one another and any possible impact this might have on bullying.
“At this point, I and other people are not convinced that this will have any real benefits beyond the obvious intrusion in private life. It could also cause serious disruption to students in class and put teachers in a difficult position.