Head of the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education, Dr Grace Kelly (photo), has weighed into the condoms-in-school debate by saying that the distribution of the packages should be left to health professionals. "Schools are supposed to be teaching values and teaching self-discipline and self-control, and the distribution of condoms should be left to health professionals," she said.

Adding to the running debate about whether condoms should be distributed in schools, Kelly told that children should not be having sex, they are, and that sex education should start in the home with the parents. The call, which was renewed in recent weeks by youth advocate Lawman Lynch, has evoked several views with Minister of Education Andrew Holness saying that it was not the policy of his ministry to distribute condoms in schools. Lynch said that he had in his possession video evidence of high school students having sex on school compounds without the use of condoms.

Students still children

President of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica, Sylvester Anderson, had also dismissed the suggestion, saying that students in school were still children and should be practising abstinence. Kelly said, in her experience as a counsellor, she has found that talking about sex honestly and openly with young people can change attitudes, one of which is that "Sex is not nasty and bad, it is a good thing but needs to be done in a certain context."

Meanwhile, Dalton Scott, a police sergeant and pastor of the Huldah Church of God Seventh-day Adventist in Spanish Town, agreed with Kelly. "I can't support that (condoms in schools) because what you're saying is 'yes, go and have sex', because you can protect yourself." Scott said that instead of distributing condoms there needs to be more discussion around sex, focusing on relationships like marriage and the support from schools promoting abstinence. "This cycle, of young girls wanting to be parents and mothers, and they don't understand the roles as they are not fully developed (must be broken)," Scott added.

But while the discussion rages on, sex among teenagers continues to be an issue, with the Registrar General's Department reporting an increase in teenage pregnancies between 2005 and 2006. In 2005, outside of Kingston, St Thomas was the parish with one of the highest pregnancy rates among 15-19 year olds.

Kelly believes the key to curbing teenage pregnancy is dependent on the education system at home and school. "If our education system is well structured and has a value base ... we can get ahead. But the reality is that there are some parents who are socialising their children to believe that they have to be involved in sex. They (children) are not responsible enough so I could not support it [condoms in schools] from that basis."

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