The Minister for Education, Nick McKim, today said the Liberal Party had revealed it was opposed to age and developmentally appropriate sex education in Tasmania.

Mr McKim condemned Opposition education spokesman Michael Ferguson for wanting to implement a sex education regime in Tasmanian schools that didn't even include education around responsible condom use.

"When I asked Mr Ferguson outright in Parliament today whether he supported age-appropriate sex education in schools which also encompassed the benefits of condom use, he repeatedly and pointedly refused to answer.

"By being fundamentally opposed to simple messages around safe sex, Mr Ferguson not only denies young people the right to proper sexual information - but actually exposes them to greater risk of unsafe sexual behaviour and contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

"This is a disgraceful position for the Liberal Party to have.

"By denying young people this sort of education, it is denying them the vital facts and information that allows them to make informed decisions about sex.

"Such decisions are crucial in preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexual diseases, and empower young people to help them avoid unwanted sexual encounters.

"Tasmania's sexually transmitted disease rate remains far too high, and the Liberals ought to realise that to tackle that young people need more education - not less.

"The Liberals would force sex education back behind the bike shed instead of having mature age-appropriate lessons in the safety of a classroom.

"Public Health authorities have welcomed the State Government's strategy to strengthen sex education in Tasmania - and the Liberals should hang their heads in shame that they would deny such crucial information to young Tasmanians," Mr McKim said.