Education for Choice
03 December 2008
Education For Choice - Free Resource For PSHE advisors/Healthy Schools Programme Managers
An article highlighting the distress caused to students by speakers from some anti-abortion agencies when they visit schools was published in The Guardian Education last week. ‘Shock Tactics’ describes the inappropriate imagery and the misinformation that speakers use to persuade students of their point of view and includes the views of a teacher who regretted ever inviting them in after half her students walked out and some were physically ill.
Lisa Hallgarten of Education For Choice argues that teachers are able and indeed obliged to create a safe environment in which to talk about this issue.
Stimulating well-balanced lessons on abortion can include accurate information on contraception, pregnancy prevention and pregnancy decision-making as well as exploring the range of views and values around abortion.
This can all be done without polarising the debate into a simplistic ‘for and against’ argument and without stigmatising women who choose (or students who have chosen) abortion.
Abortion Education: a best practice toolkit was published earlier this year and is available to download free from the Education For Choice website. It supports schools and teachers to provide good quality education on this topic that will help students in both PSHE and RE.
Download Abortion Education: a best practice toolkit