Sex and relationships education is to be made compulsory in all schools in England, the government has announced.

　　英国政府宣布，性和性关系教育将成为英格兰所有学校的必修课程。

　　All children from the age of four will be taught about safe and healthy relationships, Education Secretary Justine Greening said. Children will also be taught, at an appropriate age, about sex. But parents will still have the right to withdraw their children from these classes.

　　教育大臣贾斯汀•葛林说：“所有4岁以上的孩子都将接受安全、健康的性关系教育。孩子们将在合适的年龄接受到合适的性教育，但家长们依然有权让孩子退出这些课程。

　　Until now, sex education has been compulsory only in council-run schools. Since academies and free schools are not under local authority control, they do not have to follow the national curriculum and have not been obliged to teach sex and relationships education (SRE).

　　迄今为止，性教育只是公立学校的必修课。因为私立学校和免费学校不归政府管，所以他们不必遵循国家教学大纲，还没有强制开展性和性关系教育(SRE)。

　　Age-appropriate lessons will have particular emphasis on what constitutes healthy relationships, as well as the dangers of sexting, online pornography and sexual harassment.

　　与年龄相适应的课程将特别强调健康性关系的构成，以及色情短信、网络色情和性骚扰的危害。

　　In primary schools, the focus would be on building healthy relationships and staying safe, the Department for Education (DfE) said, while in secondary school it would focus on sex as well as relationships.

　　据教育部(DfE)说，小学的重点是构建健康的性关系和保证安全，而中学的重点是性和性关系。

　　The government will hold discussions on what should be taught to children, and at what age, and there will be a public consultation later this year.

　　政府将就在什么年龄教孩子什么知识展开讨论，今年晚些时候还会公正征询意见。

　　Pupils could be taught the new curriculum from September 2019, the DfE said.

　　教育部称，孩子们将于2019年9月开始使用新的教学大纲。

　　In an interview with the BBC, Ms Greening said: "At the moment, many schools teach sex and relationships education. But it's not mandatory, and, therefore, for many children, they are not coming out of our schools really being equipped to deal with the modern world or indeed be safe and protected from some of the very modern challenges that young people face on cyberbullying and sexting. "

　　葛林女士在接受采访时说：“目前，很多学校开展了性和性关系教育，但不是强制性的。因此，对很多孩子来说，他们走出学校时并没有真正具备应对现代世界的能力。或者说，在网络霸凌和色情短信方面，年轻人正面临着一些非常现代化的挑战，但他们实际上并不能在这方面保证安全、保护好自己。”

　　The current guidance for SRE, introduced in 2000, was outdated, she added.

　　她补充道：现行的性和性关系教育指南是在2000年制定的，已经过时了。

　　The news was welcomed by the Local Government Association, which has been campaigning for compulsory sex education in all schools.

　　这条新闻受到了本地政府协会的欢迎，该协会已经呼吁在所有学校开展强制的性教育了。

　　Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the association's community wellbeing board, said: "The lack of compulsory SRE in secondary academies and free schools is storing up problems for later on in life, creating a ticking sexual health time bomb, as we are seeing in those who have recently left school. We believe that making SRE compulsory in all secondary schools, not just council-maintained ones, could make a real difference in reversing this trend, by preparing pupils for adulthood and enabling them to better take care of themselves and future partners."

　　协会社区福利部主席伊兹•塞科姆说：“我们观察了那些最近毕业的学生，发现因为在私立和免费中学中缺乏强制的性和性教育，所以学生后面生活中的问题越来越多，就像是做出了一个嘀嗒响的性健康定时炸弹。我们相信让性和性教育成为所有中学的必修课，而不仅仅是公立学校的必修课，真的能扭转这种趋势，因为它能让孩子们做好成年的准备，能让他们更好地照顾自己和未来的伴侣。”

　　But critics fear the announcement weakens the influence of parents.

　　但是批评人士担心这项政策会削弱家长的影响力。

　　Chief executive of the organisation Christian Concern Andrea Williams told the BBC: "Children need to be protected, and certainly when they're [still at primary school], we need to be guarding their innocence. "

　　“基督关怀”组织的负责人安德里亚•威廉姆斯对BBC记者说：“孩子们需要被保护，他们上小学的时候，我们当然需要护卫他们的天真。”

　　National co-ordinator Antonia Tully said: "Parents will be absolutely powerless to protect their children from presentations of sexual activity, which we know is part of many sex education teaching resources for primary school children. The state simply cannot safeguard children in the same way that parents can. This proposal is sending a huge message to parents that they are unfit to teach their own children about sex."

　　国家协调员安东尼亚•托雷说：“家长们将完全失去保护孩子被性行为画面危害的能力，我们知道，性行为画面是很多小学生性教育教学资源的一部分。国家很明显无法像家长一样保护孩子。这一政策是在告诉家长们：他们不适合向自己的孩子传授性知识。”

　　School leaders, however, welcomed the news.

　　但是，学校领导还是欢迎这条新闻。

　　Russell Hobby, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "It is so important for young people to be taught about appropriate relationships."

　　学校领导团体NAHT的秘书长卢塞尔•霍比说：“教年轻人合适的性关系是非常重要的。”

　　网友评论：

　　@spacely: 4 years old is way too young to start. The changes will result in children becoming sexualised at a younger age and, yes, losing their innocence earlier.

　　4岁开始性教育真的太早了。这会导致孩子过早有性意识，过早丧失童真。

　　@Dr Clem: Over 80% of sexual abuse happens within the home by someone close to the child. Teaching children body safety from a young age will help them speak out earlier and deter abusers if they know they are more likely to be outed.

　　超过80%的性侵害都发生在家里，施暴者常是孩子身边的人。孩子从小学会身体安全知识，就更容易说出这种事情。而施暴者也不敢轻举妄动，因为他们知道自己有可能被曝光。

　　@Gibb: Kids are socialised at school alongside their mates and school is where they are most likely to learn about sex. Parents aren't necessarily qualified to deal with a lot of the health, legal andpsychological factors associated with online porn and sexting, though it won't harm anyone for them to get involved in at least talking about some of the issues. So I would not mind at all if my daughter's school came up with a well-thought-through plan to talk openly about what apparently a lot of kids might be getting involved in.

　　小孩是在学校和小伙伴们进行社交的，学校是他们最可能了解到性的地方。家长不一定有能力处理和网上色情、色情短信相关的健康、法律和心理问题，当然如果他们能谈谈这些问题也是好的。反正我个人是一点也不介意，只要我女儿的学校能有一个周全得体的教学计划，开放地讨论很多孩子可能接触到的问题。

（编辑：何莹莹）