Adrian Mourby raised interesting issues in his article “Sex education is still in flared trousers” (TES, February 13).
School governing bodies in England and Wales have the legal responsibility of writing school policies on sex education, and have done so for more than 10 years. Yet in many schools there are still no policies or no teaching programmes - or the teaching programmes are, in the words of many young people, “too little, too late”. Does the school Adrian Mourby’s daughter attends really see no opportunities or need for sex education until pupils are 10?
A questionnaire survey in one London borough last autumn indicated that 28 per cent of responding schools did not have a policy on sex education. This demonstrates that schools need support and advice on sex education policy and teaching but this is not always available. Best practice in sex education is excellent, but provision is not universal.
BLAINE STOTHARD
Consultant in health education 42 Dalyell Road, London SW9
