How does sex education affect teenage pregnancy rates in the UK?

TEENAGE pregnancy rates have always been prominent in the media, it is already widely known that the UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe and that sexually transmitted infections are also more prevalent than before, particularly in people aged 16-19.

THE UK shocks Europe with 41,325 girls under the age of 18 falling pregnant in 2008 in England and Wales alone.

Despite the appalling figure in 2008, data from the Office for National Statistics indicate that 2008 teenage pregnancy rates in Britain experienced a decline of 3.9% from 2007, while the number of pregnancies among the under 16’s fell 7.6% to 7,577.

Although there is improvement, the decline is still far short of the government’s pledge to halve teenage pregnancies (15-17year olds) by the end of 2010.  Today’s figures show a rate of 40.4 per 1,000 girls in 2008 – a drop of just over 13% in comparison to the baseline figure.

So why are teenage pregnancy rates in Britain so high? Many people believe that sex education in schools is nothing like what it should be.

The issue of Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in schools is and has been of concern to the UK Youth Parliament’s knowledge for at least seven years. In England and Wales, Sex Education is not compulsory and parents can refuse to let their children be a part of what little education they may receive. Members of the Youth Parliament are adamant that the Sex Education that teenagers receive in school is “too little, too late, too biological and doesn’t provide enough (if any) information on relationships.”

Nationally, 40% of young people between the ages of 11 and 18 thought that their Sex Education was extremely poor, whilst a further 33% said theirs were average.  These results alone clearly show that drastic measures need to be put forward to ensure that teenagers have a good understanding of Sex Education upon leaving school. 

The majority of the public are strongly recommending that schools should employ more trained staff to teach Sex Education rather than relying on normal Science teachers to educate these young girls.

Hopefully, the government will eventually make Sex Education in England and Wales compulsory in an attempt to lower these awful pregnancy rates. With better education on sex and relationships, teenage girls of 13-18 will become more aware of all types of contraception and both pregnancy and abortion rates will continue to decline.

Big, Bold and Bizarre!

NORTHAMPTON Museum and Arts gallery are currently holding a ‘Big, Bold and Bizarre’ exhibition that will end on February 27^th.

Sporting an array of oil paintings and sculptures from various artists, including international artists Michael Derek Jarman and Sir Frank Brangwyn, the work immediately screams out ‘talent’ when entering the exhibition. The ability portrayed really allows you to be open minded about the paintings and opens your imagination to the hidden meanings buried beneath the beauty of the art.

The title of the exhibition links perfectly with the art on display. Their visual impact is incredible – some are big, some are bold and some are simply bizarre. The combination of bold and colourful paintings mixed with the weird and abstract act as a visual feast for all of the visitors, this is most definitely an exhibition I would recommend to others.

Although some pieces of work may not be everybody’s cup of tea each painting and sculpture stands out in its own, unique way. Acting as a niche, one of my personal favourites has to be John Bratby’s ‘Sunflowers and Sun -Crossed Sky in the Summer of 1968.’ Bratby’s choice of bold colours, ranging from bright yellow to bright green, allows the idea of life and nature to shine through the painting literally emphasising the precise strokes of the brush with each gallant tint. Some would say that the iconic sunflowers painted by Bratby were influenced by Vincent Van Gough’s ‘Sunflowers.’

Moreover, ‘Lock 1977’ painted by Ben Johnson in my opinion stands out for its intricate detail and sheer size. Johnson’s painting is by far the biggest addition to the exhibition portraying a fantastic amount of detail that can only be seen up close. Clearly Johnson spent a lot of time on this painting and his talent should be displayed and congratulated for years to come.

After having observed the ‘big and the bold,’ next on the list was the ‘bizarre.’ ‘Avebury Series No.4’ by Michael Derek Jarman certainly fits into the bizarre category. To the untrained eye like my own, the painting looks like a yellow canvas, with red and blue lines and dark circles to represent stones in the Wiltshire area. In my opinion, this painting was particularly tedious and lacked imagination. Another bizarre piece was Sully Sheinman’s ‘Sacred Vessel 46,’ that simply looked like a young child had sketched it at school. I feel these two pieces should not have been part of the collection however everybody interprets art in their own ways and some may find a hidden and beautiful meaning behind the simple piece of work.

That aside the exhibition as a whole was interesting and inspiring in many ways. I would recommend ‘Big, Bold and Bizarre’ as it’s a chance to open your mind and really see the beauty of life portrayed as a work of art through the eyes of somebody else.

Money is the root of all evil.

WHEN the words 'loan' and 'overdraft' appeared in my email inbox last week, my heart leaped into my mouth - something it tends to do if anything vaguely financially orientated makes it through the sand and into my consciousness.

According to a recent survey, one in ten people in the UK, like me, are always in debt, with more than 38 percent dipping into the red at least once. Would I like to talk about my debts? With more of us than ever in the red I guess now is the right time to come clean.

I struggle to sleep with constant reminders of the dreaded minus figures that rule my Natwest student bank account. The bold statistics stare at me as I type in my four-digit pin, something that I rarely do. I have become sick of checking my account. All I get from it is a feeling of depression and anxiety. Will I ever be out of the red?

As shocking as it may sound, I have become so used to being in debt, I now see my £1,000 overdraft facility as 'my money.' Phone bills, rent, food shopping and car insurance reach the top of my worries. I wake up in the same way in which I fall asleep, repeating the 'minus nine hundred and eighty pounds' bank balance that I currently have. With only twenty pathetic pounds left, how am I supposed to even pay my phone bill? Let alone the rent, insurance, food shopping...

A survey of University of Central England undergraduates has shown that many students believe that financial problems are having an adverse effect on their academic performance. As a second year student, I completely agree. Those one in ten of us who live in the red - and our nerves exist in a chaotic world where every move, every thought is ruled by how close you are to that magic number: your agreed limit - will understand the way I'm currently feeling.

Even the slightest sound of a letter being forced through my front door leaves me in a state. Who ever came up with 'another day, another dollar?' In my case it's another day, another bill. My relationship with my overdraft has become the most important relationship in my life. The constant nagging in the back of my mind that I need to pay my pone bill or that I need to make do with ends meet for the month is like a weight hanging around my neck and tying me down.

Lectures are often a daze. They come and they go, just like money. I try to concentrate but as per usual figures, furious reminders and a red light that indicates the bloody red of my overdraft take over my mind. I have a part-time job as a bartender but that barely covers a week's worth of meals. The trouble is, when you have more money it still isn't enough. As they say, "money is the root of all evil."