Thursday, 4 March 2010

Parents' anger after class of seven-year-olds is shown 'graphic sex cartoon' at school

Students have reportedly been mimicking the actions from the video in the classroom

A mother has taken her seven-year-old daughter out of school after she was made to watch a cartoon showing a couple chasing each other around a bed and having sex.

Seven and eight-year-old pupils watched the controversial Channel 4 sex education DVD, Living and Growing, during a lesson at their village primary school.

The DVD shows the cartoon sex while a voice-over describes it as 'exciting'.

Lisa Bullivant, from Legbourne, Lincolnshire, was so upset by the 'graphic' content that she has taken her daughter out of East Wold Primary School and placed her with another school.

Mrs Bullivant said: 'The cartoon was very graphic. My daughter was frightened and children have unfortunately been copying what they have seen.

'Parents should have been given the decision of whether the video should have been shown or not.

'Seven to nine-year-olds should not possess this knowledge. There is no educational or psychological benefit or need to for children of this age to have full knowledge of what sexual intercourse actually entails.'

The school sent parents a letter saying they could view the film before it was shown to pupils, but Mrs Bullivant and some other mothers and fathers were unable to attend the screening.

She said: 'We had no reason to think we needed to see it. You never think in a million years that would be taught to seven-year-olds.

'We had faith in the headteacher and the school that all they would be learning would be basic puberty. It should have said in the letter children would learn how to have sexual intercourse.'

Mrs Bullivant says the school should have followed the Government's Learning and Skills Act 2000 which states when sex education is given to pupils 'they are protected from teaching and materials which are inappropriate having regard to the age'.

She has complained to the headteacher Lesley Thornes and the school's governors about the decision to show the DVD, and has requested a meeting with the director of education at Lincolnshire county council.

Mail Online

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