Sex ed primary school assignment sparks debate among Aussie parents
The checklist was reportedly handed out to primary school children in Melbourne... with some very anatomically specific suggestions.
A graphic questionnaire about puberty reportedly handed out as “homework” to students at a Melbourne primary school has ignited a fierce debate among parents.
A photo of the “puberty change” checklist to discuss “with your adults at home” and “see how much they know” was shared in a Facebook group dedicated to Melbourne mums on Wednesday, prompting a huge response from other parents.
“Thoughts on this? Personally I’m not a fan,” an anonymous member posted, explaining her neighbour’s primary school aged grandchild had recently received the assignment. “In my opinion I think it’s quite wrong for a primary school to do and give as homework…let kids be kids, why encourage this so early. Not all of it, but some is quite questionable I think,” they added.
The “homework” urges students to read a list of puberty changes with their “adult” and “ask them what part of puberty they found the easiest or the hardest” before listing 24 physical responses, from “feeling hungrier” and hair growth to an increase in penis size, “vaginal wetness” and clitoris sensitivity.
Others include needing more sleep, sweating more, “ejaculation” and “start making a vaginal discharge”. It asks kids to tick one of three columns — physical girls, all bodies and physical boys — for each puberty change.
Parents divided over puberty change list
The terminology used in the list angered some Melbourne mums, one of which said she would be “pissed” if her child came home with the sheet of paper.
“While I agree the idea is there and [it’s] good for kids to familiarise themselves with both male and female puberty — I don’t understand why they would use some of that vocabulary,” another woman said. “I mean come on, vaginal wetness? Seriously? Like was there no other way to appropriately word that? Some of these need an explanation of what is happening rather than a simplified cringe version.”
Despite the negative feedback from some, an overwhelming number of parents said they thought the assignment was “great” and wished they had received something similar when they were in school.
“Whilst potentially confronting subject matter, I can see it is encouraging open and honest dialogue between families,” one supporter wrote. “Our kids deserve the right to learn about their bodies and feel safe with the changes that are going to be happening. Some changes will happen quite early.
“School’s cannot win, we educate too young, too old, not at all, too much, not enough. I like that families are given some resources to support discussion.”
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Sheet needs more information, woman argues
One woman, who identified as a dermal clinician who deals with “women and men’s bodies all the time”, argued that the “sheet explains nothing”.
“It doesn’t explain changes in hair growth, body proportions, hormones, psychology, temper, how to handle body odour…it is so over simplified it’s confusing, I wouldn’t be happy if my child was given this sheet and I can’t see how it fits well in the curriculum,” she said, adding that the “youngest generation still have totally warped ideas about their bodies and seem to understand puberty and bodily changes from a very sexual point of view”.
However, not everyone agreed.
“I got my period at 10 and would have loved this kind of resource to know all the changes that were happening were normal!” another woman proclaimed.
“It’s not encouraging anything, it’s educating them about involuntary bodily functions and changes,” someone else wrote. “Kids are going through puberty earlier and earlier. It’s important they know what to expect and to speak openly about it with trusted adults who can support them.”
Others said they would prefer to complete the homework with their child rather than them “just Googling it anyway” or referencing porn websites.
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