CHILDREN as young as 11 years old are being asked to design a poster to promote condoms.

High schools across Greater Manchester are being lined up by condom manufacturer Durex in a contest to promote National Condom Week, with £1,000 of computer equipment for the school, college or youth group that comes up with the best poster.

Durex say the idea is to promote good sexual health and safer sex. But headteachers at the city's Roman Catholic high schools are all set to boycott the competition.

Brian McNulty, headteacher at St Matthew's RC High School in Moston and spokesman for heads of catholic schools in the city, claims the competition is a veiled ploy to sell condoms to young people.

He fears it could encourage promiscuity - and Catholic schools in the city will not take part. "They can talk about it as if it is a social service," he said, "but I think they are actually involved in advertising.

"This competition starts from the premise that young people are going to have sex, so they should at least protect themselves. But the starting point should be saying that it isn't right to have sex at a young age."

Mr McNulty says the schools' refusal to run the competition doesn't mean they don't take the issue seriously, but they approach it differently.

Realistic

"I think family planning is an essential part of modern life," he said, "and we in the catholic Community do not want young people to bring children into the world where they are not wanted or needed. We present the school's position, but we are realistic."

Tory MP Graham Brady, who represents Altrincham and Sale West, said: "This raises questions about the whole approach to sex education in schools and whether it is being done in the most appropriate and effective way."

Gillian Oliver, spokesman for the Church of England's Manchester diocese, said they would leave the decision on whether or not to take part to the discretion of individual boards of school governors.

A spokesman for Manchester education authority also said the decision would be taken at school level.

Durex says the idea is a positive way of getting young people to consider a serious issue in a fun way.

Marketing manager Catherine Gort said: "Durex wants to encourage young people to talk about safer sex and National Condom Week is a great way of doing this. We're hoping the poster competition will support sex education in a fun and understandable way."

Closing date is January 23.

Are the schools right not to take part in the competition?

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