Study gives failing grade to sex-ed

Poll says 86 percent of teachers in training feel education system fails to deliver when it comes to comprehensive, relevant sex-education. Sexologist: 'Teachers should learn what the G spot is'
Roi Mandel

A new Kibbutz Seminar College study indicates that the teachers of tomorrow have a lot of catching up to do in the sex education department. The study attributes the knowledge deficiency to a poor sex education during the students' own school days as the subject caused too much anxiety and raised an uncomfortable number of moral and educational dilemmas.

According to the study - which polled 256 students aged 21-27, some already practicing teachers – some 68 percent of the student body received incomprehensive and incomplete sex education as pupils. The study also determined that the more the religious the student, as well as older in years, the less he was exposed to the subject.

100 percent of the respondents said that they had never approached a school faculty member with a sexually related question. Additionally, 25 percent said they had never consulted with any adult authority on these matters. The poll found that knowledge regarding the following subjects was sorely lacking: physiology and anatomy of reproductive organs, sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptives, abortions, sexual orientation and sexual violence.

Sexologist: We have tendency to avoid talking about sex

The study was conducted by Dr. Ilana Brosch, a professor of sociology and sex education at the Kibbutz Seminar College, believes that sex-ed must be part of the pedagogical instruction process: "teachers today are clueless about the field because they do not receive the proper training. There is ignorance among students and the teachers are blatantly uninformed on this subject."

"The findings of the study are not surprising at all," says Shelly Pasternak-Katz, a social sexologist. "We have a tendency not to talk about sex. Sex education in the average school is basically a boring lesson where they explain to girls about menstruation while the boys get to play soccer outside."

According to Pasternak-Katz most teachers are not well versed on sex-ed, as opposed to their students. "If they didn't learn it in school and if mom and dad didn't take them for a 'talk' when they were young, they just don't know. Today's youth, on the other hand, is much more exposed, mostly thanks to the internet."

'Teachers should know what the G-spot is'

Pasternak-Katz adds that there are also teachers who are more knowledgeable. "There are teachers with a good attitude who will take out a cucumber and explain how to put on a condom, but most of them aren't like this. Educators maintain a 'distance' from their students and don't allow openness in the classroom. Children today want to learn everything – about sex, birth control, both the dangers and the pleasures – but teachers are incapable of answering their questions."

"Teachers should have uncensored sex education training," Pasternak-Katz continues, "not only about dangerous diseases, biology and anatomy, but also about the pleasures. About the areas that arouse men and women. Teachers should learn what a G spot is. Even if the teachers will still be too embarrassed to talk about it with the class, at least they themselves will know and it will do nothing but good for them."

Pasternak-Katz insists that today's educators need to get to know the world of sex on the internet. "They need to learn what’s going on the internet pornography sites so that they can talk about it with the students. Students (visit these sites), see men with enormous organs, women in impossible positions; they need to explain to students that pornography doesn't reflect reality."

Tali Treger, who heads the unit for sexuality, relationships and family at the ministry of education's psychological consultation services, says that sexual education in Israel has gone through a makeover: "In the past sex education focused on biology, contraceptives and STD's, today it focuses on being relevant to today's youth in terms of intimacy, partner selection, perception of sexual identity and sexual development on a more emotional level."

Treger says students should be taught at eye level: "I wouldn't recommend teachers say 'let's talk about fucking', but if a kid says something like that, don't shut him up but talk about it, talk about why he chose that term instead of a different one."