17.02.15
Sex-and-relationships education should be mandatory in state schools – MPs
Sex-and-relationships education (SRE) should be given statutory status so that all state schools in England have to teach it, MPs have said in a report.
The Commons Education Committee's inquiry looked into actions taken by the government to improve personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), of which SRE is a part, following Ofsted’s 2013 findings that more than a third of schools were failing to provide age-appropriate SRE.
“This situation would not be tolerated in other subjects, and yet the government's strategy for improving PSHE is weak,” the report said. “There is a mismatch between the priority that the Government claims it gives to PSHE and the steps it has taken to improve the quality of teaching in the subject.”
The Office of the Children’s Commissioner also recently called for improvements in SRE in a new report following up on a 2011 inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
It said it was "worrying" that the inquiry's recommendation to make sex education a statutory part of the curriculum had not been adopted by the government.
Deputy commissioner Sue Berelowitz, who chaired the inquiry, called for "age-appropriate relationships and sex education" to be made a statutory part of the school curriculum.
"Young people need to understand what are and what are not healthy relationships," she said.
In describing the benefits of SRE, the Education Committee report said: “When provided in an age-appropriate way, SRE can contribute to a school's safeguarding efforts, and instil the principle of consent that will protect young people as they grow up. Delivering high-quality SRE is particularly important for the most vulnerable children, including looked after children, LGBT children and those with special educational needs.”
One of the key problems highlighted in the report is the lack of clarity on the status of the PSHE. It recommends that it be made statutory, with SRE as a core part.
It also says that the Department for Education should develop a workplan for introducing age-appropriate PSHE and SRE as statutory subjects in primary and secondary schools, and come up with a strategy to address the shortage of suitably trained teachers and staff which is necessary to improve the quality of provision.
Committee chair Graham Stuart MP said: “There is an overwhelming demand for statutory sex and relationships education – from teachers, parents and young people themselves. It’s important that school leaders and governors take PSHE seriously and improve their provision by investing in training for teachers and putting PSHE lessons on the school timetable. Statutory status will help ensure all of this happens.
“Young people have a right to information that will keep them healthy and safe. SRE forms an important part of any school’s efforts to safeguard young people from abuse, and is particularly needed to protect the most vulnerable children. PSHE builds character and resilience, and will help young people to live happy and healthy lives.
Parents have rights too. They must be consulted by schools on the provision of SRE and must keep the right to withdraw their children if they are unhappy with what the school provides."
Lucy Emmerson, co-ordinator of the Sex Education Forum, told the BBC that sex education was neglected in too many schools and urged all political parties to make a manifesto commitment to change the law to make the subject statutory.
PSHE Association chief executive Joe Hayman added that statutory status for the subject would be "a huge step forward".
A Department for Education spokeswoman said high quality PSHE teaching played a vital role in developing young people's personal and emotional wellbeing, "supporting them to make informed choices and stay safe".
"That's why we are working with schools and experts to ensure the PSHE and relationships education that young people receive is appropriate and of a high standard," she said.
"We have already set up a new expert subject group on PSHE to identify key areas where teachers need further support.
"However, we are aware more needs to be done to raise the quality of teaching in this area, and we will consider the findings of this report carefully."
Recommendations
The Education Committee recommends:
- The Department for Education should develop a work plan for introducing age-appropriate PSHE and SRE as statutory subjects in primary and secondary schools.
- All schools should be required to run a regular consultation with parents on the school’s SRE provision.
- The parental right to withdraw their child from elements of SRE should be retained.
- The Government should formally endorse and issue the SRE guidance produced by Brook, the Sex Education Forum and the PSHE Association. It should also promote this more actively to schools and governors.
- The funding of continuous professional development for PSHE teachers and school nurses should be reinstated.
- Ofsted should resume its regular subject surveys of PSHE provision.
- SRE should be renamed Relationships and Sex Education – RSE - to emphasise the relationships element of the subject.
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