On both sides of the border, sex education is surrounded by borders. In the French State and, therefore, in the French Basque Country, sex education has been part of the school curriculum since 1973. In total, however, students receive 30-40 hours of training in all compulsory education. In September 2013, the central government launched the programme les ABCD de l’égalité (Berdintasuna ABCD) with the aim of weakening gender stereotypes at school. However, public opinion does not seem to be inclined to reinforce sexual training. Seven years ago, the ZiziSexuel exhibition was inaugurated in Paris, an interesting educational initiative on sex aimed at boys and girls. The exhibition has travelled almost all of Europe and recently returned to Paris with more controversy than seven years ago; at first, several Catholic and conservative associations received 8,000 signatures against the sample and on their return they reached 40,000.

And yet, the situation of sexual education is better than that of Hego Euskal Herria, at least officially. In the Spanish state, sex education was taught for the first time in 1990 (LOGSE), within the subject of Health Education in the line. In 2006, the LOE proposed that students receive competencies for social life, but did not include specific content on sexual education beyond those proposed in Education for Citizenship. The 2010 Organic Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health establishes that the public authorities will guarantee information and affective-sexual education in all the formal contents of the educational system. But this aspect of the law has not developed, and now the LOMCE removes all the scarce remnants of sexual education from the educational curriculum.

By decision of the centres

Consequently, according to the sexologist Olatz Berastegi of the Ekiten group, “sex education is in the hands of educational centers and most of the time they themselves decide how to do that training”. Those who choose sex education hire external sexologists to offer 6-8 horas.En courses the three Compulsory Secondary Education courses are offered a total of 30 hours and, in some cases, another 6 hours in Primary. Therefore, in all compulsory education it is offered from 0 to 36 hours. In the survey conducted in the Spanish state for young people between 15 and 24 years of age, only 46% answered that they had received information about sex in the center. In the absence of specific data from Hego Euskal Herria, Olatz Berastegi points out that the situation in the CAV is better than in the rest of the State; in Navarra it is not so optimistic.

The institutions have also started to bring their grain of sand: “Especially in Gipuzkoa, the issue of equality has gained strength and many municipalities offer courses to local schools. But above all to act on equality and prevention of violence”.

And in general, more and more centers are choosing to recruit sex education programs. “But they hire us to be able to say they do it often,” says the sexologist, “and there are people who want to do a lot in a few hours and even pay less money.” That has been a concurrence, and not always loyal. “Some bring down prices and offer free hours and other special offers. That, in the end, harms our profession and sexual education in general.”

Wanting and not being able to

The centers usually ask sexologists for programs that allow them to know their content in hiring their services. But because the number of hours is limited, “we often have to confine ourselves to urgent issues and leave out many content. We sexologists are clear about what we want to work, but it’s not easy.”

As for the didactic material, there are more and more sources: sexology associations, television programs, universities… they are constantly creating didactic content. In 2014, for example, the LGBTI group of the Stee-Eilas trade union has prepared a didactic unit to work on sexual diversity with the aim of eradicating homophobia in schools. “Then, of course, we develop or adapt the content that we have to give based on age,” says Berastegi.

The problem is not in gender-specific learning materials, but in those used in other subjects. Sex education is a very broad concept (although in practice work is limited) that affects most subjects. For example, “in math textbooks, when it comes to problem-solving, they often use very stereotyped and inadequate examples of gender.” Therefore, although there is an increasing number of specific material for the preparation of sexual courses and workshops, the materials of other subjects are often inadequate for sexual education and “teachers in general are not prepared for it”.

As far as the training of sexologists is concerned, it should be noted that the full upper course of sexology is taught at a single European university in Leuven, Belgium. That is, whoever wants to do a career in sexology has to go there (or Quebec). Otherwise, sexologists receive training by adding psychology, pedagogy, anthropology or any type of career and postgraduate studies. It has to be said that the possibilities of these postgraduate studies are becoming broader and better, and that therefore they are also improving the training of people who offer sex education in schools, the materials they generate…

The model is about to arrive

In Hego Euskal Herria we have seen that the situation of sexual education is precarious. Nor is it much better in Ipar Euskal Herria. So is there a country that offers exemplary sex education? There's a lot of difference from country to country. In Portugal, for example, it depends to some extent on the biological curriculum. In Finland, sexual issues are also related to biology in Primary Education, and although content is later disseminated, they are limited to health issues. In Germany, compulsory sex education has a broader content and some religious associations rejected the complaints filed against it, first by the German Constitutional Court and then by the European Court of Human Rights in 2011.

To find the most appropriate sex education program, we should go to Sweden. In school education in the Nordic country, sex education has been compulsory since 1956. Boys and girls start to receive sex classes between the ages of 7 and 10 and until compulsory cycles are completed, the offer is expanded. Sex education is integrated into several subjects, not only in biology or health, but also in the history of sex.

There's a lot of difference from country to country. But the difference is even greater between what sex education is and what should be. Sexologists aim to educate the sexes. Currently, the content focuses on the prevention of diseases, ill-treatment or sexual practices, in demand of a limited demand. Consequently, the sexologist says: “A negative message about sex is sent to children and young people: it’s dangerous, they have to be careful…” Obviously, with legal support, increased hours, improved teaching materials (all) and good teacher training, significant steps would be taken.

But the key is at the base, to change that strict concept of sex. This more comprehensive concept of sex education seems utopian, but Olatz Berastegi adds some light to the dark photograph of sex education: “Frontier, in recent years we have been able to progressively expand the education of the sexes, we have started talking about girls and boys, about identity, about our relationships.”