billythekid

If its on the exam, then its in the syllabus - thus talked about in the class room. So he would know the answer. They dont make questions up for the fun of it and see how they answer.

IYSWIM.

Jamie

What he said

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I don't think you can put an age restriction on teaching children to be safe.

Soon as a child is old enough to understand sex, then they need to understand the risks and responsibilities .. be that at 10, 15 or 25

Hysteria1983

Exactly, if this person has been listening the answer should be a few paragraphs explaining how some religions are for the use of condoms, and others are against, and a quick explanation of the pros and cons of both of the use and non use.

It's not asking for the pupil to give a personal explanation, and it's best to stay impartial and describe it.

Also it's not asking anything about sex education.

Religious studies is not just about reading the bible or other religious material. It is also about how religion has effects on society, how it has changed over time.

I cannot understand how the parent of this child had a problem.

22BUK

To those of you that don't seem to have a problem with this question, the answer as given in The Sunday Times will probably not be to your liking:

I fail to understand why anybody thought this an appropriate question for a GCSE in religious studies.
I can accept that it is right to ask candidates ethical questions in a religious studies exam. For example, asking what the candidate thought about the Catholic church’s position on contraception might be relevant. But this question asks a 15-year-old to comment on the effectiveness of one particular form of contraception. Did the examiners expect candidates to answer from personal experience or from tests conducted in biology lessons or what?
This is an example of the educational world in which we live. Nobody cares about the student’s understanding of a subject. The only thing that matters is what they think and feel. You will not be surprised to learn that Edexcel does not think that there is a difficulty. In any case, approval for the qualification was given by the exam regulator, Ofqual. So, there’s not a problem, is there?

CREWJ

I can see their issue. The wording of the question is used to make you think but since it's a touchy subject it airs on the inappropriate side of things.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

I drive some 12 to 16 year olds to college from our place, what they get up to scares me...

dunx

P.S. If a problem child here isn't pregnant when they leave that's a result. If your Mum was 14 when she had you, wouldn't you hope to do better ?

dnc

How irrelevant is that 'point'?

How is it necessary to have personal experience of something to be able to learn and make reasonable judgement about it?

As for the Biology Lessons comment...............I rest my case.

I think I am also correct at assuming that the 'answer' as you call it above is actually not 'the answer' but merely someone's point of view as lifted from the Letters to the Editor page. That is fine. Just as my point of view, that it is a perfectly acceptable question, is also fine.

Simon C

Since when has RE become a GCSE anyway? I don't remember much of RE lessons when I was at school as I was always trying to get out of it!

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Not sure if it is everywhere, but it's a fair while since I left school.

When I was there, we studied RE until 3rd year along with PSE (personal and social education) as a seperate lesson. Once in the GCSE years, the lessons were combined (PSRE) with little focus on the RE bit, but there was never an exam in it.

Overall, those lessons were ****, but had the potential to be useful.

CREWJ

I have a GCSE in R.E. and that was a good 8 years ago and it had been there a while then.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I have an O Level in RE, which dates it even more.

CREWJ

How old are these other members then

tony de wonderful

Kids are learning all the biological stuff at 15 for GCSE. I don't see this as an issue.

dpn

I was 14 when I popped my cherry! If I din't know about nodders then I would have been having a child at that age. They need to be taught these things. Basic sex education starts at junior school these days. My sis is a teacher at a secondary CofE school and she teaches her younger pupils 12-13 about the birds and the bees, and all other aspects of safe sex. I don't have any kids at the moment, so really I'm not as "qualified" to answer this question as most of you. IMO though kids are doing it younger these days so this sort of knowledge is vital, as two pumps and a squirt can lead to having your childhood cut short as you could be bringing up your own kid whilst your tecnically still one yourself!

Leslie

Can you think of a better reason to teach children that it is not sensible for them to be having it off as a young teenager?

Les