Nine-year-old children are being targeted for more detailed sex education in New Zealand schools in 2009. The new resource by Family Planning called The Sexuality Road are geared for teachers of late-primary and intermediate-age children. It has become controversial because it provides a programme of 10 lessons and evaluations per year for students as young as those in Years 5 and 6. However, conservative lobby group Family First argues that sex education should be left to parents.

Family Planning director of health promotion, Frances Bird said that “international evidence showed children were entering puberty earlier than had been seen in decades. New Zealand teenagers rate second-highest in the developed world for teen pregnancies.” Bird also said that children “should be exposed to a range of values, attitudes and opinions.”

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