There has been much talk about what is appropriate for schools to teach in terms of sex education.

Such has been the outcry that it has been suspended for the time being.

We’re going to be frank here, so please be warned.

The internet has changed much in our lives.

One is that most young people – younger than you probably imagine – have watched pornography online.

This is, of course, damaging. Children are unprepared for such information.

Their idea of what sex is can be far removed from reality if this is their main source of information.

We’d go further.

It changes expectations, especially when they look at the more extreme videos.

Boys’ expectations of what they should do with their girlfriends (or boyfriends) is framed by this sort of ‘information’.

It is essential that parents and schools not only recognise this new reality but address it directly.

Things are very different now for teenagers than they were even 10 years ago.

They have probably seen footage of threesomes, anal sex and bondage.

Sex education has to acknowledge what they are seeing and explain that the reality is – or should be – very different.

One sign of what’s happening now is that boys and girls are sending each other nude photos.

Sex education must be taught in the framework of relationships. The expectations instilled by pornography have to be dispelled.

If this problem is to be addressed, schools must be able to address what were taboo subjects not long ago.

If they don’t, children will be far more damaged in the long run.

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