ERIC Hester is to be commended for his stand regarding teaching chastity to teenagers. However, as someone who has taught children of both sexes, right through from seven years of age to 18, I would suggest that it would be a great mistake to imagine that chastity can be taught in isolation.

The whole aim of the school should be to help young people to really mature as individuals. Sex education has to be fitted in to that process.

The big problem is that there are very few really mature teachers and mature parents.

It might help if I suggest that you can't "form" a person into a mature human being, it is a growth process.

The Catholic Church is being rocked to its foundations at the moment by the scandal of paedophile priests. There are very few really mature priests! The Catholic Church is still making the mistake of trying to "form" young men into mature priests! The whole system is wrong!

What is a mature person? A mature person is someone who has grown into the unique person God created them to be. Such a person lives by love -- lives a life true to himself, true to everyone else, and true to God. Above all, the mature person lives by reason and principle, rather than being at the mercy of his unconscious.

Ways have to be found for helping the child grow in this way. Unless a way is found, I would suggest that chastity is impossible -- no matter how excellent the lessons may be.

Neil V Warburton BA