Parents in the Chinese capital will listen to lectures about sex beginning this autumn, a move local education authorities hope will improve sex education among teenagers.

The education committee of Xuanwu District announced its parental sex education plan Sunday, hoping that parents would pass the knowledge on to their middle school children, according to Monday's Beijing Daily.

Teachers are also required to join the training session, which will include watching video tapes, playing games, discussions and lectures.

The newspaper quoted a parent's positive comment in a questionnaire as saying, "The fathers and mothers of middle school students grew up more often than not in a time when such things were not discussed. So, few of them know how to instruct their adolescent children properly. And this class will be good for them. "

Education experts have expressed their approval of the move. They say that middle school is a crucial time for students to get correct knowledge about sex, and that parental training is the most suitable way.

Such education should include warnings to avoid premature sex and eliminate the spread of AIDS and venereal disease.

They advocated that primary school children should know about sex and the sex organs. And so, as they grow up, they can come to a better understanding of sex-related physiology, psychology, ethics, physics, health care and contraception.

Professor Gao Dewei, president of the Beijing Sex Health and Education Association, said sex education is life-long, but the two crucial phases are at the age of two to three and 12 to 13.

(Xinhua News Agency 08/06/2001)