LINCOLNSHIRE is bucking the national trend in reducing under-18 conceptions by 31 per cent through a number of successful sex education initiatives.
A Government report claims that sex education is failing to control spiralling teenage pregnancies, but Lincolnshire is outstripping national figures which has seen only an 11 per cent decrease overall. Lincolnshire is recognised as having the highes
t decrease in teenage pregnancies in the East Midlands.
The county council’s Tackling Teenage Pregnancy team has led a county-wide strategy to reduce numbers of teenage conceptions, while Lincolnshire’s Youth Cabinet has made improving Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) one of their key priorities.
Lincolnshire County Council has also dedicated resources to improve how the county’s schools deliver SRE.
Coun Christine Talbot, executive councillor for secondary education and healthier communities, said: “Delivering effective SRE is one of the key factors which needs to be in place to reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted rates amongst young people.
“There are examples of excellent practice in our schools and we need to build on this and the work of our Tackling Teenage Pregnancy team to ensure young people are getting the information and advice they need.
“At a time when national trends are being called into question, it is pleasing to see that the good proactive work here in Lincolnshire is making a difference and having a positive effect.”
Lincolnshire’s Tackling Teenage Pregnancy team led a campaign in December promoting choice in the run up to Christmas to help free young people from feeling pressured to have sex before they are ready.
The SRE Improvement Programme provides training for secondary school teaching staff, exemplar lesson plans and recommended resources. It was launched through a ‘delay’ resource pack for teachers to support young people to think about delaying first sexual activity.
