Courtney McGrailPupils can feel vulnerable and embarrassed in sex education classes in school, according to a new study which looks at the experience of pupils in a number of countries, including Ireland.
The study appears in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal. It also reports that pupils dislike their usual teacher teaching sex education.
The experience pupils had of sex education differed little from country to country.
Some students who took part in the study said sex education classes should include more information about homosexuality and transgenderism.
There is an ongoing debate about what to teach children and when in respect of sex education, and who is best placed to do it, parents or teachers or both.