The work examines the needs of boys as regards sex education in school. The literature search depicted a situation where boys' needs were being neglected despite the calls from such bodies as the British Medical Association. Literature supports the idea that there is an overemphasis on biology rather than relationships and this, coupled with peer and teacher expectations of masculine behaviour, neither helps boys to cope with relationships nor aids them in their understanding of the needs of others or coping with their own fears and anxieties. The growing problem of early teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) had led to comparisons with other countries, which show that England has a severe problem with underage pregnancy and the transmission of STIs. Research was undertaken to investigate the characteristics of sex and relationships education for boys with the object of determining their needs and what types of education would best meet these needs. Investigations took place in eight diverse secondary schools in the south east of England. Questionnaires were issued to boys and girls in the sixth form regarding their experiences of school sex education. In addition students in their first term at university were also asked to complete questionnaires to give a wider scope to the research. Eight co-ordinators of Personal Social and Health Education were interviewed to discover their opinions of sex education in secondary schools at present and whether this was meeting the needs of pupils, especially boys. Research was then conducted to examine alternative methods of delivering sex and relationships education to determine if these strategies could better satisfy boys' needs in this area. These included a student tutor scheme in Prague a teacher training establishment in The Netherlands, an 'agony uncle' who ran a computer help line for boys, a theatre group, two male sex education workers who deliver sex education to boys, a peer education scheme and a Teenage Health Project. Three focus group interviews were carried out with young men of sixteen and seventeen to determine their feelings about their sex education and how it could be improved. In order to assess these diverse schemes a set of criteria was established against which to judge sex education delivery. These criteria were devised from the search of literature, the focus group and questionnaire responses and suggestions from the alternative method respondents and the co-ordinators. The schools' sex education provision and the altemative methodologies were then evaluated against these criteria. Results showed that none of the methods totally met the needs of boys. The analysis was used to determine a new strategy to meet the needs of boys with regard to their sex and relationships education. At the heart of the strategy is a curriculum with a stronger emphasis on relationships, how to cope with and express emotions. The content, methods of delivery, amount of sessions, size of groups and the types of teachers required are also defined.

Nearly half the Vietnamese population is under 25years, and among this group, there is a rapidly rising incidence HIV and STD’s. There is an urgent need to develop strategies to improve young people’s knowledge and understanding of sexual health. Currently, teachers lack the knowledge and confidence to effectively teach sexual health and there was no conceptual framework underpinning the curriculum (Thanh, 2010). This study developed a conceptual framework and model for sexual health education programmes for upper secondary schools in North Viet Nam and made recommendations for education policy and practice. The study methods were based on the first cycle in action research, an approach recognised in Viet Nam for changing professional practice. Key to this study was Jarvis’ (2004) description of lifelong learning, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle and Problem Based Learning teaching documentation and discussions with Vietnamese government officials and NGO’s working in sexual health. The findings revealed that most pupils did not understand or did not practice safe sex, and all wanted more knowledge and information. Teachers reported limited knowledge and a reluctance to teach this subject. When the new conceptual framework and models were piloted, they were seen as accessible, acceptable and appropriate for the education system in Viet Nam, and demonstrated measurable changes in teaching and learning. The study is unique, in that it was designed with ministerial support for strategic implementation and sustainability. The Vietnamese government has accepted it. At their instigation, the research is already being used by an international working group for sexual health education in schools. It is also being used by a second international group, working to improve nurse education, and as a result is being piloted in undergraduate nursing programmes.

This thesis presents a theo-ethical critique of the liberal metanarrative that influences and shapes the current moral framework of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) policy, in particular, the liberal approach towards sex education espoused by David Archard, which advocates providing young people with the maximum amount of information around their sexual choices, and defends a view of sexual morality which holds that anything sexually goes, as long as it is in private, between consenting adults and harms no-one else. In highlighting a liberal approach to policy making, this thesis reveals the liberal principles at work in health education and moral education, two central policy discourses that inform and shape SRE. In analysing the ethical theories therein and their underlying presuppositions, specifically those evident in an ‘informed choice’ approach, this thesis demonstrates the incoherence and inadequacy of the current moral framework, pointing in particular to the falsity of a self-legislated choice and the inadequate foundation for moral truth within the current framework. In addition, the adequacy of the current moral narrative on sex and relationships, as shown by Archard’s position, in shaping a robust public sexual ethic, is examined and critiqued. In adopting a constructive approach to public engagement, this thesis also demonstrates how a theological virtue ethic can enrich moral discourse in SRE. In particular, the virtues of Christian love and chastity are identified as two virtues which correspond with a Christian vision of human flourishing, dispositions that present a more adequate and coherent vision of a sexually and relationally educated young person.

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of delivering sex education in secondary schools in Hetauda (Nepal) by exploring the sexual health knowledge and understanding of young people, and parents' and teachers' views on sex education, in order to place the findings in the wider social, cultural and educational context of modern Nepal. The research selected four secondary schools pupils of diverse sociobackground characteristics in Hetauda municipality, central Nepal. This study was conducted by undertaking an intervention in control (2 schools) and experiment (2 schools) groups, and as such constituted the quantitative method. Semi-structured Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with 14 key stakeholders (6 parents and 8 teachers) and 8 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 78 pupils constituted the qualitative method. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed separately by utilising statistical software (SPSS, 19) and thematic analysis, respectively. Outcomes were compared, combined and discussed. This study relies on a multiple theory platform (cognitive constructivism, social constructivism and social cognitive theory) to evaluate the effectiveness of sex education delivery in schools. The conventional teacher in the control school delivered the sex education programme in a didactic approach. The result had less impact on pupils' sexual health knowledge and understanding. In contrast, the health facilitator-led experimental schools used a participatory approach which showed a reasonable knowledge increment around sexual health. However, the pupils were still confused and uncertain about how to obtain sexual health information from relatives of a similar age and their family members. Many parents lacked the knowledge, iv confidence and skills to offer meaningful support to their children. This study noted four main important influential sexual health attitudes and behaviours of the pupils: ambiguous social roles leading to confusion; increased sexual awareness and curiosity about sex; significant gaps in knowledge and behaviour; and limited parental input. This study suggested several possible approaches that could be developed to improve sex education in Nepal. Young people need more information on the risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies. This could encourage them to gain more sexual health knowledge which in turn could lead to increased engagement in safer sexual health practices. In particular, more young girls should be provided with access to sexual health knowledge and services in order to achieve real improvements in pupils' sexual health. Furthermore, attention needs to be given to rigorous research and appropriate sex education interventions in school. Integrating sex and relationship education, both in formal and informal education, could help to improve young people's sexual and reproductive health status.

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This study investigates the representations of sexuality within a unique corpus of sex education manuals for British teenagers, published between the years 1950 and 2014. It brings together a disparate set of linguistic and multimodal analyses under the aegis of Queer Linguistics, which takes as its focus the way writers and speakers orient themselves and others to social and sexual normativities. Queer Linguistics is an emerging discipline, and it is hoped that the present study will contribute to the field by demonstrating its applicability to a wide range of linguistic perspectives and approaches. The study draws upon the SexEd corpus, which comprises a unique collection of 88 sex education manuals published in Britain. It represents the only longitudinal body of texts of its type, and the only such body to be subjected to rigorous linguistic analyses.