Stephen Tomkins is impressed by an honest multimedia pack.

Some of us may lament the lost innocence of childhood and regret the heavy exposure that the young now have to every imaginable thing to do with sex, but here is a very sound resource targeted at key stages 3 and 4 that is sensitive, honest, accurate and avoids being prurient.

It is welcome; it will empower children to make up their own minds and help them to steer a better course to being at ease with their own sexuality. I am sure that this CD-Rom will be avidly used in school resource centres, and for the right reasons. It might also be used to instill confidence in parent-governors about the processes and the content of good sex education.

Sex education materials probably sell easily and this pack is certainly being widely promoted. One should be doubly circumspect, therefore, of the sharks in these turbulent waters. I was pleased to discover that this is a serious and caring attempt by a justifiably respected educational software developer (Interactive Learning Productions) to meet children’s and teachers needs effectively.

Susanne Currid brings together in her writing and editing good advice from both the London Hospital Medical College, who advised on the health and medical issues, and a Church of England group, the National Society, who advised on the moral, ethical and cultural aspects. This is a successful mix.

The CD has three sections: The Facts (Reproduction, Health and Growing Up); Your Life (Pregnancy, Abuse, Relationships, Sex and the Law, Sex, Culture, My Sexuality, My Body and Myths); and Other People (20 male and female case studies, ranging from 13 to 21 years).

The pack-file that comes with the disc has useful supporting anatomy sheets, pupil tasks for class-use, poster project work suggestions and simple role-play exercises, all appropriate to level. It is certainly reliable: out of many hundreds of pieces of information, I found only one slightly misleading statement and only a single typographic error.

The Facts of Life CD is relatively manageable. I suspect that its usefulness with a full class will be limited. It is sometimes a little slow to work through the options and in a full class everyone will want to go down a different path. It will be much more valuable to small groups.

Occasionally I moused my way round in circles, but you can readily explore one avenue after another and go in search of information for a set task. It is homework and group-work friendly, having a full cut-and-paste facility. It employs a clear text, audio-pronunciations of glossary words, good colour graphics, some animation and still photographs. The glossary, an idiosyncratic mix of short dirty words and long medical ones, is very comprehensive. There is nothing remotely approaching porn in the whole enterprise; there are plenty of simple facts (if occasionally unwholesome), sensitive stories and helpful guidance.

The pack does not dodge a single issue. The masturbating child will be informed and instructed about the habit and encouraged to grow in sexual self-awareness; abused children will be helped to see what has happened to them and how to stand up for themselves. There is a clear statement of diverse value positions on many issues.

I found the coverage of difficult areas of advice, such as menstruation and homosexuality, was fine. The emphasis throughout is on self-respect with autonomy, a fellow-feeling for your own family or cultural group and a sensitivity to the values of others. It is fully multicultural with sound multi-faith teaching sections.

If adults fundamentally doubt the quality of children’s good sense in sexual matters, when given these “facts of life”, perhaps we should recall, from the not too distant past, the more appalling cruelty of keeping children in ignorance. Given the good that it might do, this CD package is a good buy at the price.

Facts of LifeProjection Visual Communication - stand 625