Sex education for 5-yr-olds compulsory in UK schools

Reuters

Thursday, October 23, 2008  22:56 IST

LONDON: Sex education classes will become mandatory for state-educated children in England aged five to 16, alongside new lessons on drugs, healthy lifestyles and finance, the government announced on Thursday. Primary school children are to be taught about parts of the body, puberty and how to talk about feelings and friendships.

Secondary school pupils will learn about the importance of stable relationships to family life and about how risky sexual behaviour can lead to infection and unwanted pregnancies. “Modern life is increasingly complex and we have a duty to equip our young people with the knowledge and skills to deal with it,” said schools minister Jim Knight. “It’s vital that this information doesn’t come from playground rumour or the mixed messages from the media about sex.

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New iTunes website: lectures from the prestigious universities available for free.

The Hindu, October 08, 2008 International  
New iTunes website catch Britain's elite students' fancy

Oxford (AP): What's playing on your iPod? If you're an aspiring university student, Oxford and Cambridge hope it's them.

Britain's elite universities uploaded more than 350 hours of podcasts and video podcasts on Tuesday to a new iTunes Web site designed specifically for universities.

School leaders say they want to reach out to potential students from diverse backgrounds, including those who attend secondary schools not typically sending students to Oxford and Cambridge.

Oxford is advising potential applicants on how to write a personal statement, how to choose from the university's many programmes and how to get through an interview.

Cambridge includes a guide to admissions for parents.

The podcasts are freely available online, so applicants don't need an iPod to listen to them.

In addition, lectures from the prestigious universities will also be available for free. more