Specialist trained teachers should deliver the education programme on sex and relationships.

That’s the call from Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson, following comments by Education and Children Minister Graham Cregeen.

Mr Cregeen confirmed in Tynwald last week that some schools brought in outside speakers to deliver some of the programme on sex and relationships.

Tynwald heard that, in certain secondary schools, a programme was delivered by the Scripture Union, although Mr Cregeen insisted there was no religious element to the teaching.

Dr Allinson told the Manx Independent: ’I think sex education should be an intrinsic part of the education service and I do not think it should be sub-contracted to other groups.It is too important a subject.’

He called for a more consistent approach across all schools.

’What I would like to see is teachers trained to deliver a comprehensive service across the island. That would deal with the challenges young people are facing in terms of relationship issues and also questions about sex education that may not be answered under the present system.’

Dr Allinson, a practising GP, echoed concerns raised by Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse, who was a secondary school teacher before he was elected, that many children would prefer to discuss sex and relationships issues with specially trained teachers who they did not know directly, rather than those who they see daily.

’I think a lot of school children, because they are seeing their own teachers, are perhaps inhibited from asking questions that may be worrying them,’ Dr Allinson continued.

’What I would like to see, perhaps, is using teachers from other schools - swapping over as we do with lots of other subjects - so they don’t necessarily know the children and don’t have to deal with them on a day-to-day basis.’

Dr Allinson said young people living in a small community might feel inhibited, for instance, in seeking advice about and obtaining contraception.

’I think young men struggle to ask those questions, particularly, in terms of things like access to condoms,’ he said. ’There is a barrier there if you do not live in Douglas.

’Summoning up the courage to go into a chemist, where you are often in a very visible area, or it might be a supermarket, is difficult when you might bump into someone you know.’

Last week Mr Cregeen said that, when schools used outside speakers, they were asked to reach a written agreement on content of the lessons and a member of staff was always present.