Pubdate: Thu, 12 Apr 2007
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: James Merkle, Education Correspondent

PARENTS' HEALTH ADVICE UNDER FIRE FROM SCHOOLS WATCHDOG

Smoking and binge drinking among teenage girls have  reached worrying
levels because parents and teachers  make the health risks seem less
important than those of  illegal drugs, the schools watchdog, Ofsted,
said  yesterday.

Most young people correctly saw cigarettes and alcohol  as a far
greater threat and the school curriculum must  change to reflect that,
it said. Pupils also felt let  down by adults who were reluctant to
talk about  sensitive issues such as sex and relationships, Ofsted
said. Instead, young people turned to magazines for  advice.

It also found that some secondary schools still allow  homophobic or
sexist attitudes among pupils to go  unchallenged.

The inspectors encouraged the wider provision of  emergency
contraception and contraceptive advice for  underage pupils, saying
school nurses were providing a  "valuable service".

The report on personal, social and health education was  based on 350
school inspections over five years.

It said: "Many adults are concerned about young  people's involvement
with illegal drugs, but the  overwhelming majority of young people
identify  correctly that tobacco and alcohol are the greatest
drug-related dangers."

Girls were more affected than boys by others at home  who smoked,
according to the report, which reprinted  figures from the Schools
Health Education Unit in  Exeter showing a quarter of 14- to
15-year-old girls  had smoked in the week before they were surveyed, a
  proportion barely changed in 20 years.

On issues such as sex, the inspectors said youth  magazines helped
"redress the balance of advice", but  rejected the idea that
"abstinence only" sex education  in schools would reduce teenage
pregnancy or improve  sexual health. There was no evidence to support
claims  that teaching about contraception increased sexual  activity,
it said.
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