The Archbishop of Wales has called for the concepts of "love" and "self-sacrifice" to be taught alongside the mechanics of reproduction and contraception in sex-education classes in Britain's schools.

He condemned the "greed and individualism" which has led to immense social problems facing young people today, made worse by the credit crunch. Leading charities joined the Archbishop in warning that families are at "crisis point".

Dr Barry Morgan said parents must understand that meeting the needs of children means making material and emotional sacrifice.

Addressing the governing body of the Church in Wales at the start of its two-day meeting in Llandudno, he said the recession was not something that can be laid at the door of children or young people.

"Its causes well and truly belong to ‘us’ – comfortable Britain, and those that we are so fond of blaming for the ills of society are themselves products of a society we have created.”

He said, “We may all know the real needs of children, but we frequently refuse to recognise that these often come at a personal cost to ourselves and our own needs and desires – be they compromises in our earning capacity or career development, or commitment to and the need to work at a less than ideal relationship.

Children are not ours by right but a sacred trust. They have to be nurtured and cared for.”

He said it was the responsibility of both parents to care for their children and that they should do everything possible, including seeking counselling, to prevent family break-ups.

“I am not saying that a woman’s place is in the home. Fathers are no less important than mothers in a child’s life… Nor am I saying that parents must stay together at all costs. Where there is a high level of conflict that cannot be resolved, or an abusive relationship, the child would obviously be better served if the parents separate. What I am saying is that we need a huge change in our thinking. Parenthood should not be embarked on lightly. It is the commitment of two people both to one another and to the child. All relationships go through periods of strain, and some will break down, but we need a culture where parents consider whether it is in the best interests of the children to stay together and we need high quality counselling and support services readily available to help them to do so.”

Schoolchildren, he said, should be taught about the commitment and responsibility involved in parenting, alongside education about sex and contraception.

“We have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. It was announced last month that the ban on advertisements for contraceptives may be lifted. That may help reduce the numbers of teenage pregnancies, but what does it do to teach young people that parenthood is an awesome responsibility that requires both love and self sacrifice from parents committed to the child and to one another? We need to be teaching these basic concepts as well as parent-craft, in our schools from an early age, particularly to those who have not experienced it first hand, and not simply informing them about the mechanics of a sexual relationship and contraception divorced from the basic concepts of love, responsibility and self-respect.”

The problems in family life are a reflection of the problems at the heart of society as a whole, he said.