Words: Kate Thompson.
Sex education – It’s the conversation that many parents dread having and a topic teachers rarely relish imparting to a room full of adolescents.
In the digital age, talking about the birds and the bees no longer cuts it and the need for young people to be taught about the importance of loving relationships, is even greater.
Recent research showed the average age of first exposure to porn is just 13 and 10 per cent
of youngsters have seen porn by the age of 9, while the issue of young people sharing explicit images of each other to shame or discredit, is a continuing challenge.
Thankfully help is at hand in the shape of award-winning Portsmouth based (s)expert, Jo Morgan, BA, PGCE, PGCert.
Vibrant and vivacious, her approach to the subject has won her plenty of plaudits and she manages to impart valuable information and advice in a fun and no nonsense way.
During a 15-year-long career in teaching, which saw her named Best Relationships and Sex Education teacher in the UK in 2020,
Jo gained national acclaim for her groundbreaking work on RSE, LGBTQ+ inclusion and Wellbeing.
Since then she has been on a mission to spread the word on how to talk about sex and her first book Empowering Relationships and Sex Education has just been published.
“Sex education is part of the road map for life that young people need to help them make sense of the world.
“I’ve always been interested in how we teach our young people about sex and I hope that teachers will find the ideas and advice I am sharing will help them to bring this important topic to life in the classroom,” explained Jo, who won an Inspirational Women of Portsmouth Award for her work in education.
“When we get this right it is the greatest gift we can give to young people, offering them skills for life. It empowers them to love themselves and find love with other people. It helps them acquire a clearer sense of themselves and their character and helps to develop empathy with others. It fosters a sense of agency and reciprocal sexual citizenship. It combats fear and shame around sex, unhelpful messages from porn, peer pressure and so much more. “Good sex education is everything!” she said.
Empowering Relationships and Sex Education is published by Routledge and is available online and from leading bookshops. Jo also advises businesses, find out more at: www.engenderingchange.co.uk
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