Strong families are fundamental for sustainable personal and societal wellbeing. The Latvian Constitution highlights family protection, but challenges like high divorce rates, single-parent families, and low birth rates are threatening the sustainability of the country and citizens’ wellbeing, which makes education for family formation particularly relevant. Relatedly, youngsters’ massive usage of media, which makes them easily available large amounts of inappropriate sexual content, has contributed to the global moral crisis, making it particularly urgent to provide youngsters a research-based approach to sexuality education based on family values and moral virtues.

The aim of this study is to explore understandings of and the need for sexuality education for family formation in the Latvian education system. The research questions guiding the inquiry were: What are parents’, teachers’ and future teachers’ beliefs regarding Sexuality education for family formation in Latvia? To answer the research questions, the study adopted a survey design with mixed methods, using a questionnaire with 55 items, including rating questions in a 6-point Likert scale and 6 open questions.

Five thematic areas were included in the questionnaire:
(1) family values;
(2) approaches to sexuality education;
(3) sexuality education at school, including 4 subsections (school topics, sexual relationships at school age, school-parent cooperation, and teacher training);
(4) needs in the education system; and
(5) examples of good practice.

The questionnaire was administered in Spring 2025. 1198 valid answers were received (89% females): 54% were parents, 34% teachers and 12% future teachers. More than half of participants reported as very important or important the complementary between woman and a man (77%), selfless love (84%), stability (78%) and monogamy (78%), but the lowest rated family values were social recognition and openness to life (64%). Only 31% of respondents considered UNESCO's comprehensive sexuality education approach as suitable or very suitable, while 50% rated the virtue-based approach, 62% the physiology approach, and 67% the holistic love approach. 75% of respondents supported parents’ and school collaboration in this field, while 11% believed that parents should not be involved in sexuality education together with the school. Only 10% of respondents agree or strongly agree that only UNESCO's approach should be used in teacher education, while 50% believe that education should offer a range of alternative approaches to sexuality education.

The findings of this study will contribute to a report offering policy recommendations on virtue-based sexuality education aimed at supporting family formation. Additionally, these results will inform the development of a conceptual framework for a school-based program addressing this subject.

Acknowledgement:
The research was funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility project “Internal and external consolidation of the University of Latvia” (No.5.2.1.1.i.0/24/I/CFLA/007), grant “Strengthening values-based family literacy and sexuality education in the Latvian education system” No. LU-BA-PA-2024/1-0011.

Keywords: Family formation, sexuality education, family values, virtue education, school education.