The importance of Education Kidz Biz Education

Personal and social development education broadly describes education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. It also includes body image, values, decision-making, communication, dating, relationships, negotiating friendships, coping with stress, conflict resolution, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how to avoid them.

Because teenagers live in a time of rapid, ongoing and unparalleled social change and upheaval, media exposure to violent and sexual images, escalating levels of family breakdowns and secular disconnected communities, personal and social development education has also been expanded to include binge drinking, drug abuse and cyber-bullying.

Providing students with personal and social development education often necessitates discussions about sensitive subjects such as sex and associated transmittable infections, drugs and alcohol abuse and body image, etc. There are some critics that believe that it is inappropriate to talk to young people about some of these subjects and fear that doing so will encourage young people to indulge in risky behaviours. Such attitudes are often based on overly-moralistic views rather than hard-core evidence, and severely limit the quality of education in our community. Substantial evidence demonstrates that educating young people about safer sex does not lead to increases in sexual activity.

Fortunately, it is widely accepted that students have a right to personal and social development education because it not only develops an understanding of their own physical, sexual, psycho-social, cognitive, and emotional development but it also helps protect themselves against escalating Australian trends in abuse, exploitation, eating disorders, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including Herpes, Chlamydia and HIV/AIDS.

Effective personal and social development educational courses equip students with skills in negotiation, decision-making, assertion and listening.

Other vital skills include the ability to recognise pressures from other people and to resist them, dealing with and challenging prejudice and hostility and being able to seek assistance from parents, teachers, guardians, police and professionals; through the family, community and health and welfare services.

Effective courses also helps equip students with the skills to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information, and to discuss a range of moral and social issues and perspectives on sex and sexuality, including different cultural and religious attitudes, and sensitive issues like sexuality and contraception.