The Junior Jury give their verdict on what, when and how children should learn about the facts of life?
| Girls and boys should be taught separately. Boys could learn about condoms and girls could learn how to use tampons. |
Gemma McFadyen, 16, Cowgate
"You are better off learning about sex from your parents. You don't know what kids are going to tell you. What happens then? You can learn wrong things off other kids.
"Parents should teach you the rights and wrongs about sex. They should teach you about contraception and how you can fall pregnant if you don't use it and how not to throw away your life.
"You should also be taught about sex in primary school from about year five but they need to have videos and leaflets and bring someone into the school.
"Things are all right on Cowgate because you can go into the family health centre and get condoms."
Shellie Lockyer, nine, Cowgate
"I think you should learn about sex from your parents. You should be taught it from about the age of 11, but perhaps you need to be told about periods about seven or eight.
"Teenage pregnancies are bad. It might be too much stress for a teenage mother. There should be more places for people to get condoms."
Natasha Crowl, 11, Cowgate
"I think I'd rather learn about sex from my parents because they know how to explain it and then it's their time to tell you when they're ready to tell you about sex education. It's much better.
"You should be told about periods after they happen. You need to know about sex by about 13 because sometimes people at that age don't just get off together; they go further.
"One bad thing about teenage pregnancy is that some people have abortions and don't tell their parents."
Andrea Dixon, 15, Blakelaw
"I think parents tell you more than schools can about sex education. At school you only get taught every once in a while. When it feels right you can just ask your parents questions like how to put contraceptives on.
"I think 10 is a good age to learn about sex education.
"When I was in school we only got taught once. It's different now. My friend got taught differently, they showed her how to put a condom on over a cucumber."
Sonia McAthey, 13, Cowgate
"You should learn about sex at 12 or 13 because girls start their periods and they can have sex and they might not know anything about it. They shouldn't learn it earlier from their parents because they might try it on someone.
"I think girls and boys should be taught separately. Boys could learn about how to put a condom on and girls could learn how to use tampons safely."
Lindsay Marchant, 17, Cowgate
"You should learn about sex from parents and teachers. Teachers tell you in one way but parents get straight to the point.
"You should learn as young as possible so you know what you're letting yourself in for if you ever meet a lad."
Philip Lockyer, 17, Cowgate
"Your parents should tell you about sex education. Five or six is a bit young but from eight or nine they should tell you. You need to know before you go to high school. I think sometimes parents need to be taught how to tell their children because sometimes they give the wrong advice."
About the team
Interviews by Melissa Skinner and Christie Newby, 10. Junior Jury is a weekly column published in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
