Sex classes scrapped at Sidmouth College
SEX education classes at Sidmouth College have been scrapped by health bosses.
SEX education classes at Sidmouth College have been scrapped by health bosses.
Devon Primary Care Trust withdrew its funding for the Added Power and Understanding in Sex Education (APAUSE) programme in December, telling schools throughout the region "out of the blue" that they would have to stump up nearly �4,000 to keep it running.
A Health of the Nation Report in January showed that teen pregnancy rates in the UK are the "worst" in Western Europe- double the average.
The APAUSE programme, which integrates peer education with contributions from local health services, was taught to 150 pupils over five classes at Sidmouth College.
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Dr Virginia Pearson, director of public health for Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Devon County Council said the PCT "very much regretted" the late notification given to schools.
She said: "APAUSE is currently delivered in 70 per cent of schools in Devon and has not therefore targeted to those schools most in need (schools with students from wards with high levels of teenage conceptions)."
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She added that the Devon Healthy Schools Programme offers training courses for staff, governors and personal, social and health education coordinators on all aspect personal and social and health education including sex and relationships education.
