In August and September 2025, we conducted a poll of almost 230 older teenagers about the Age of Civil Responsibility (ACR) Bill.
We asked a few questions about sex education, for example, did they agree that the content should be limited to abstinence-only instruction? The majority, 68%, rejected that view, while only 18% agreed with it.
We also asked whether they agreed that age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) should be provided in schools. This question yielded the strongest response in the poll: 93% agreed. What is more, as you can see, 58% strongly agreed.
Critics of the ACR Bill have observed that a law cannot solve the problem. That is correct. But we need the law to create the social space for actions to address the problem. Making bold improvements in how and what we teach in Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) is one vital component.