But then you’d get the Wendy House used as maintenance facility for Tonka Toys, or some-such.

Reminds me of the one occasion, around 5, when the girls invited me to play with them, instead of sitting alone on the steps, and boys immediately took my presence as permission for them to invade the space, taking the skipping rope, etc.. So I felt I had to absent myself in order that the girls be allowed anywhere to play.

We are losing on stereotypes though, not winning, these days. The toys are ever more specifically targetted, the stores more divided, the catalogues too.

Pre-school tends not to be so bad in that respect though. The real killer is secondary school, which, in the UK, is often “single-sex”, and when most there are super-conscious of sexual and gender differences.

But reducing stereotypes does nothing for those who know their body is not right (not to mention one’s name, all those times when teachers divide pupils by sex, etc.). Having body parts naming in the official curriculum in the earliest days of schooling brings that into the sharpest possible focus.

I think that honour actually goes to sexism. Perhaps, as a guy, you don’t see it.

So you only back what would have helped you! Why wait to nine or ten to teach about puberty when puberty starts with many kids at seven or eight, and they can see it happening to older kids in their schools? You think that doesn’t make younger kids wonder, speculate, and start getting odd ideas, or even fearful? The same for sexism and gender roles, and acceptance of those who don’t fit what the child may already have learned. The point of the education is to provide it at the point where children are curious but hopefully haven’t already absorbed misinformation (and worse) from their peers. Because un-teaching is really difficult. That starts when they start school and really find themselves amongst many varied people, with even more varied families, constantly.

Myself, I was a very transsexual child long before I started school, at four and a half. I had figured out male puberty, it terrified me, and I wanted to avoid it. I think by that first day I had only played with boys about 2 hours total, and it showed immediately when I declined to play football at morning break. From that point on I was bullied in every class, in every break, and on every journey home for the next 14 years, and not one teacher ever tried to help. Indeed many joined in, enthusiastically. A bit of teaching in the first months that it was OK not to match the common gender roles would have been helpful, I think, if they can find a teacher who believes it.

But then, even though people here are saying it is good for LGBT, I don’t see the government saying anything about “T” on this. So exactly what those few dozen kids like me who join UK schools every year will be faced with on the tender topic of puberty I shudder to think.

I’ve already seen teaching resources for 5 year-olds that have a naked boy and girl, pre- and post-puberty for the child to colour in, with kids expected to name the parts and tested on which will be their future. If I had been confronted with that I would been in instant, public melt-down, despite my mother’s dire threats (back then I would have been in a mental ward for life, with electro-convusive shock therapy for good measure, for life, even at 5) if I said anything to anyone about it. It will bring forward the point where schools need to acknowledge kids are transsexual, Yet there is no provision to help the kids, the parents, or the schools on that – the government is only just on the point of acknowledging kids can need help before 16., never mind at 5, and their “experts” are still saying kids cannot know their own minds until 18.

Same-sex marriages are illegal by deliberate government policy in the UK, same-gender marriages aren’t. It is same-sex discrimination we need to fight. So, no, sorry.

I agree, but better some attempt at fighting the core of so much homophobia, which is simple ignorance. Until I was 12 or 13, I didn’t even know how babies were made, let alone why sad, desperate old queens need the desire to hang around in public parks at 1 ‘o’ clock in the morning.

Ah well, I’m sure the Catholic schools will continue with their own brand of sex education for many years to come. “Patrick! See me after class!”

Part 1. A Gay relationship is a sexual relatioship between two people of the same gender.

Part 2. God condemns gay relationships, gay sex is an abomination to God, God hates gay people and on the day of judgement He will see that they are all burned in the lake of fire and sulphur.

Part 3. Be tolerant.

My point is, I suspect the reason for the faith’s schools’ somewhat exemption is because this was all they could get from them, using legislation which really, the school can’t deny if they want to remain open. This is much more than there was before, and it is progress. It’s not enough, I agree, but we always knew we would have our work cut out when it came to certain religions. It might take us longer – but that doesn’t mean we should give up.

For the record, I don’t believe children as young as five should be taught about puberty and their bodies. Nine or ten, maybe. Children have to lose their innocence early enough these days – let’s allow them to keep what they can for a while longer. But marriage and civil partnerships and divorce from five? Speaking as someone who’s parents spilt when she was six, and had no idea what was going on, yes please.

Wild guess you?

But seriously, teaching children about appropriate sexual awareness from a young age is answering a need that exists anyway. Kids as young as 4 start asking the “where do babes come from” question. And in my particular case, my 4 year old nephew asking why he has two uncles that live together and, as he put it, “are like mommy and daddy”. Its not paedophilia to answer that questions, its YOU who sounds a bit creepy for suggesting that, and it is wrong to lie to kids about what is a natural curiosity. The education can be appropriate around the right age, it can teach that gay relationships are not abnormal, as some right wing religious nuts believe for no reason other then to hate someone, and it doesn’t have to be graphic in nature. I’m sure you’d prefer brand all sex “wrong”, and we wait until they’re 18, but then what will you do when they ask at 15 years old “where did MY baby come from”?