A NEW STUDY has highlighted the lack of research into the effectiveness of using outside facilitators to deliver sex education in schools.
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency commissioned Dr Jan de Vries of Trinity College Dublin and a research team to review international literature to examine the effectiveness of sex education delivered by people from outside the classroom.
A previous study commissioned by the Department of Education and the Crisis Pregnancy Agency found that about 40 per cent of post-primary schools used outside facilitators or visitors to the classroom to teach aspects of relationships and sexuality education (RSE).
That study found that almost 80 per cent of schools felt that having more outside facilitators in schools would be beneficial.
It found that, in schools where relationships and sexuality education was poorly developed and teachers felt uncomfortable with the subject matter, schools may develop an over-reliance on outside facilitators and assign all RSE teaching to outside agencies.
All post-primary schools are obliged to have an RSE policy and to implement programmes in social, personal and health education at junior cycle and as an RSE programme in senior cycle.
The international review found “a dearth of dedicated systematic investigation” of the role of outside facilitators and the authors said this limited the ability to draw reliable conclusions.
Because of the lack of research, “evidence on the effectiveness of outside facilitation of schools-based sex education is inconclusive”, it said. It found negative and positive aspects to the programmes run by visitors to the classroom.
The report said there was “an urgent need for more research into approaches to effectively engage outsiders to the school community in the delivery of sex education”.
One international study found that the proportion of girls having babies was 3.1 per cent lower if they had received sex education from a programme led by peers, compared with a teacher-led programme.
Another study comparing peer- and teacher-led programmes found no difference in the uptake of condom use and no reduction in the number of sexual partners or the incidence of pregnancy.
Two studies found that programmes with gay and bisexual-sensitive information resulted in reports of reduced sexual risk behaviour among gay and bisexual youths.
Sex education with drama and computer-led instruction was also shown to have positive results, with an increase in condom use found in two studies of drama-led methods.
The report said there was “considerable evidence” that students responded positively to outside facilitators.
When fellow teenagers delivered programmes, students saw them as “role models who were credible, trustworthy, expert and less threatening than teachers”.
