Sex education (the series... and debate about this general topic)

Hi there, here all spoilers about season 2 are FORBIDDEN. But we can talk about sexy boys in this series...

John, you'll be not interested about this series for teens but maybe you'll want to give your opinion about the place of the sexual education at school. Maybe you can explain us how it is actually in UK ? How you perceive it in France ?

By the way, it's not a topic for judging any practice or sexual orientation. It's an openminded topic and I think we're all old enough to have a distant look at what sexual education was like in our time, in college and high school. And how we learned to be responsible and informed adults (I guess?).

Hi Emma !
It's not fair, look at season 2 faster !!!

First of all, I love this series, it breaks all the codes ! I've never seen a series talks so much about sexuality, which totally uncomplicate things !
I think this series should make teenagers feel good about themselves, it's very important at this age to discver themselves, not to be afraid of who you are, that you're not weird, that it's nature !

It's not with sex education classes that you can learn anything, that's for sure ! I have the impression that since the 50's, there hasn't been any evolution that this course is really taboom yet it could help so much to avoid the discomfort of thousands of young people regarding their sexuality !

I'll try to finish it this evening Laura, don't worry, I'm coming !

I agree with you, I really appreciate all the different types of characters here, because they aren't at all the stereotype of the young and beautiful student that we used to see in most teenagers' series, because this is not this in the real life.

Btw I'm so hyped by Otis' mom, because this is the first time that a therapist is in the middle of all this teens' mess. She brings her knowledge and helps a lot of young people who are asking themselves about their sexuality, their fantasies, their asexuality then... It's really important to understand what's happening inside your body and your head when you're becoming an adult, and to explain to the actual youth that they can be who they want, without fear. Because feeling weird isn't normal at college : nobody is weird, everybody deserves a place in this fool world, no matter the gender, the sexuality, the sexual orientation...

You're right Emma the series doesn't interest me at all. That's natural at my age!

I honestly think that parents or family need to "step up" for sex education as the timing for each individual and the information they can handle at any time is very personal/individual. Even very young children need to be aware of what is not acceptable from other older people and understand that they need to let their parents know about certain situations.

I find it sad that younger and younger schoolchildren are being "sexualised" and I don't like that 5 and 6 year olds have "boyfriends" or "girlfriends" why can't they just be called friends and remove the sexualisation from a situation which really isn't/shouldn't be sexualized.

School has a role to play but more in an educational sense of biological understanding. unfortunately most parents don't speak to their kids properly about their developing bodies or thoughts so school needs to talk about periods, erections, masturbation, etc... as well as contraception, diseases, babies and everything else but it fails because of the situation and the differing levels of maturity (quite normal) of kids of the same age.

As I said Family needs to do it and therefore "family" needs to be educated to understand how and when to say what. This isn't going to happen either and should probably be tied into compulsory parenting classes for kids of a certain age and then again for "adults" who are going to have a first baby.

Here are two linked subjects that I read about before seeing this thread which may be of interest:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51133850

Yes that's exactly right Emma !! I love Oti's mom, she is so nice to help teenagers ! It's not just adults who needs therapy, but teenagers too !

I don't know about you Emma, but there's one thing that bothers me in this series, we see almost all teenagers having sexuel adventures, having boyfriends or girlfriends but i find that for teenagers who watch the series who haven't yet experienced any of this, feel left out and not normal because they've never had relationships...
That's how I feel

Admin wrote:You're right Emma the series doesn't interest me at all. That's natural at my age!

I honestly think that parents or family need to "step up" for sex education as the timing for each individual and the information they can handle at any time is very personal/individual. Even very young children need to be aware of what is not acceptable from other older people and understand that they need to let their parents know about certain situations.

I find it sad that younger and younger schoolchildren are being "sexualised" and I don't like that 5 and 6 year olds have "boyfriends" or "girlfriends" why can't they just be called friends and remove the sexualisation from a situation which really isn't/shouldn't be sexualized.

School has a role to play but more in an educational sense of biological understanding. unfortunately most parents don't speak to their kids properly about their developing bodies or thoughts so school needs to talk about periods, erections, masturbation, etc... as well as contraception, diseases, babies and everything else but it fails because of the situation and the differing levels of maturity (quite normal) of kids of the same age.

As I said Family needs to do it and therefore "family" needs to be educated to understand how and when to say what. This isn't going to happen either and should probably be tied into compulsory parenting classes for kids of a certain age and then again for "adults" who are going to have a first baby.

Here are two linked subjects that I read about before seeing this thread which may be of interest:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51133850

I find your answer really great because you’re pointing out the biggest problem in all of this. The place of institutions in the education of intimate life is awkward, and shouldn't take place since it is effectively up to parents to take care of the education of private life, about the good manners to have, etc. School should just behind to make them efficient and automatic, to bring a scientific/theoretical view of sexual education. We must let children grow up without imposing norms, both sexual and about their gender, and without making them believe that they must immediately love girls, boys, and maintain a "relationship" with them. We have enough problems with that when we become teenagers and we found out that the reality of a relationship is harder than what we learned and saw before.

I hope we're moving into a new era, where taboos are no longer taboos (as it was during the whole 20th century), because these are important things to know when you're a kid which will avoids a lot of things, especially about contraception and consent for example. This is why it's important to increase the number of "safe place" with health professionals.
Should there be a "re-education" of parents on this subject ? Or maybe it's a work for us, young adults with this need to change the methods ?

I'll read the two articles you shared during the next week !

Laura, you get this. There is no age to experience sex and relations. Everybody has to take the time he/she needs. But the problem is the group effect, teenagers all want to do this at the same time, and some will "force" themselves, "rush" to do it, to be in a standard that is not even one. It’s too bad, that’s why we have to reassure our "cadets" or siblings about this, because it’s better to take the time and not regret it afterwards. This is sometimes very symbolic and important for young people, we have to teach them that everything comes in its time...

Hello hello!

Haha it's funny because I've written almost the same beginning as Adelaide but without read her! Great minds think alike...

It's funny you decided to talk about it because a friend of mine told me this weekend that the sex education guide comes out recently. So I decided to watch it, in addition to I've heard good things on.

I can't really talk about what is happening is this series because I just watched the first episode 20 minutes ago. Nevertheless I already like it. The principle is interesting and, as Laura said, it's time to talk about it we're not in the 50's ! It's strange that something known and do by everyone is taboo. By the way, I just checked the word taboo on word reference (yes I was confused by the game with the same name) and as example they write "Sex and drugs are often taboos."...
Concerning our topic, I agree school has an important role to play in sex education, as John said it well. This taboo is becoming less and less a taboo, but things won't change tomorrow at school. Yet, there are more and more expression, discussion, Instagram account talking about sex. I think those initiatives are promising and help people, especially teens.

My worry is that with the advance of the internet more young people are using Porn sites as references for sex without realising that not only are these scenes unrealistic but they are simply objectifying women. Sure, young adults need to know about variety and that oral sex is fun etc... but they need to be in a loving and equal partnership, where "NO" is an acceptable and reasonable choice.

I totally agree with you John. That's the trouble with internet: a lot of good things appeared but bad things too. Concerning porn, some filmmakers produce "ethical porn". A new form of porn more respectful but I'm not sure it will be accessible for teens...

Hi there!

I think it's a cool series. I have become directly attached to the characters, the situations they experience and the way they are brought. Topics are recurring topics in teen series and films (understanding one's sexuality, self-assertion and identity quest, school bullying, parental relashionship, religion, drugs, homosexuality, etc.) but the fact that in this series we passed by the main character who improvises sexologist for his classmates; and they dare to show and talk about all his subjects without taboos and with humor works really well.

Regarding this education in France, I was going to talk about education through pornography as John did. Indeed, the sexual education of young men is, for the majority of them, made through pornographic films! In fact, I don't know if they really realize it but by regularly looking at this kind of things, they unconsciously imbibe gestures of physical mistreatment, aggressive and disrespectful words that they can see in these movies. Some on the other one like this kind of practice and do it consciously with their partner, there that make problem. Because the partner does not necessarily agree to be treated like that, even during a sexual act, and can be brought to be forced to do what he doesn’t like just because he is a little bit like blocked, and can't speak. In fact, anything is possible in sexuality, but you have to want it and be in complete agreement of what you want to do between the two parties. I would say then that good communication is more than necessary if we want it to go well.