received this last year, so its not really new, but worth a post…
Sex Education in England
THREE English sisters have each had children while still at school, the youngest at
the age of 12.
Jemma, Jade and Natasha Williams, who receive benefits totalling more than
£31,000 ( 45,000) a year, are raising their babies alone after they became pregnant
within three months of each other.
The sisters, aged 12, 14 and 16 when they gave birth, live in Derby with their twice-
divorced mother, who held the education system responsible for their plight.
“I blame the schools - sex education for young girls should be better,” said Julie
Atkins (38). "More and more kids are getting pregnant younger and younger and sex
education needs to start a lot earlier.
“If I could turn the clock back I would definitely prefer them not to have children as
their education is so important. They’ve all ruined their lives because they are all too
young to have children.”
Jemma, the youngest daughter, was the first to become pregnant, giving birth to her
son T-Jay in February last year. Then, in November, Natasha (16), who had already
had two miscarriages and an abortion, had Amani. The next month, Jade (14) gave
birth to daughter Lita.
Jemma and Jade, who is about to take her GCSEs, are still in school. The family
lives rent-free in a three-bedroom council house, which they claim is too cramped.
Their mother claims benefit for Jade and Jemma, now 15, as well as for their
children.
The girls’ mother, who had her first child at 20, said she was astonished that her
daughters had become pregnant so young. Jade said she had been determined not
to do get pregnant like Jemma after seeing all the dirty nappies and her sister
enduring sleepless nights. But she became pregnant after “a one-night stand”.
Natasha said her pregnancy, while unplanned, had pleased her. “I don’t really want to
be anything but a full-time mum,” she said. The baby’s father (38) came to see the
child “from time to time”, but “he’s Asian and still lives with his parents, so they don’t
know about me or Amani”.
Earlier this year, the British Government’s tax and benefit system was said to be
responsible for making Britain the single-parent capital of the world. (©Daily
Telegraph, London)