The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education has said sex education should be part of all school subjects, even religious studies, following a Christian group’s efforts to have the walking on water scene from the bible explained in physics lessons.
At present, sex education is only taught in biology, but the association wants that expanded so it can be taught in English, home economics, geography and mathematics. It said in a statement that teaching mush be more coordinated to ensure that all students get the same level of sex education.
Sex education in Swedish schools has been compulsory since 1955. The government announced in 2011 that it would inject an additional 10 million kroner into the system so the subject could be taught in other lessons too.
One of the association’s sex education experts, Han Olsson, said it is important to get sex education as early as possible, and that it is necessary for students to be aware of their bodies even if they are still sexually inactive. He insisted that the subject must be professionalised and viewed as an important area of knowledge just like other subjects.
The organisation also wants the subject to be introduced in religious studies to counteract some religious leaders’ criticism of homosexuality and the use of condoms.
National TV network Sveriges Television and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education recently circulated a movie, Sex on the Map, around Swedish schools. Christian groups condemned the film as it featured homosexual, bisexual and transsexual questions as well as a dark skinned and a lighter skinned girl having sex with each other.
The Swedish evangelical alliance, meanwhile, have argued that religious studies should be incorporated into other school subjects. Among the group’s suggestions are for Chemistry lessons to include ‘turning water into wine’, art lessons to introduce ‘how to paint icons’, and for physics teachers to explain ‘how to walk on water’,