Evaluation of Sex Education Provisions in the General Life Skills Programme: the Public Position

Abstract

The article analyses the societal attitudes towards the content of sexuality education in the General Life Skills Programme. Based on a review of different paradigms of sexuality education (complete sexuality education based on risk avoidance and partial sexuality education based on controlling the consequences of risk), it examines the societal support for a model of sexuality education for minors. This article presents data from a representative survey (N-1001) of the Lithuanian population conducted by “Vilmorus” in 2023 on public opinion on four aspects related to the content of sexuality education in the General Life Skills Programme: the right of parents to choose the content of sexuality education for their children in line with their family beliefs; the education of minors to postpone sexual relations to a later age, linking them to love, long-term relationships and family building; the approval or disapproval of teaching minors about the identity of homosexual relationships in relation to those of a man and a woman; and the approval or disapproval of introducing contraception to schoolchildren as from Grade 7. The results of the 2023 survey are compared with the results of a similar survey in 2018 (N-1000) in order to analyse changes in public opinion. The survey reveals that the Lithuanian population supports complete sexuality education based on risk avoidance and opposes a unified partial sexuality education programme based on control of risk outcomes, as enshrined in the General Life Skills Programme.