I know that many local people have concerns about Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in schools.
These concerns cover many different aspects of what children are learning, and so I thought it would be helpful to provide information on some of the most popular issues that get raised with me by constituents.
Why is RSE taught in schools and what are children learning?
We all want our children to grow up into happy and well-rounded individuals who know how to deal with the challenges of the modern world. To help achieve this, Relationships Education is compulsory in all primary schools in England, and Relationships and Sex Education is compulsory in all secondary schools. Health Education is also compulsory in all state-funded schools.
High-quality relationship and sex education is incredibly important and these subjects are designed to ensure pupils are taught the knowledge and life skills they will need to stay safe, build confidence and resilience, as well as develop healthy and supportive relationships. Under the updated guidance published in 2021, teachers are required to talk to primary school pupils in an age-appropriate way about the features of healthy friendships, family relationships and other relationships they may encounter.
At secondary school, teachers should build on this foundation and, at an appropriate time, extend teaching to include intimate relationships. Health education is ensuring pupils are being taught about the benefits of healthy eating, exercise and keeping fit, as well as developing qualities such as resilience, self-respect, mental wellbeing and manners. Importantly, it also teaches children and young people how to recognise when they and others are struggling with mental health.
Following reports of inappropriate sex education lessons in schools, the Prime Minister has launched a review of sex education guidance to make sure schools are not teaching content that is inappropriate. The Government is clear that schools should also only use resources that do not compromise their political impartiality or present contested views in an unbalanced way. The Government is also clear that materials used must be factual and age appropriate.
An independent expert advisory panel will advise on the review of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum. The review will be complete in due course, with revised statutory guidance coming into force soon after.
In October, the Education Secretary wrote to schools to set out that schools can and should share curriculum materials with parents, in light of the current concerns in relation to materials used to teach RSE. She has also written an open letter to parents which encourages them to have confidence in their right to know what their children are seeing and being taught in the classroom.
PHSE
The national curriculum makes it clear that all schools should teach Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, drawing on good practice to enable children to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to manage their lives. Good quality education on wider social and economic issues will continue to be taught through PSHE or other subjects, such as teaching about financial issues through maths and citizenship.
Parental Right to Withdraw
The reason why the right to withdraw as it currently stands could not be retained is that an absolute parental right up to 18 years old is no longer compatible with English case law or the European Convention on Human Rights.
However, the ability for parents to request that their child be withdrawn from sex education has been retained. Parents will have a right to request that their child be withdrawn from sex education delivered as part of RSE until three terms before the child becomes 16-years-old. At that point, if the child wishes to be taught sex education, the headteacher should ensure they receive it in one of those terms. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, parental requests should be respected.
Where a primary school chooses to teach sex education, parents will have a right to request that their child be withdrawn, and this must be granted by the headteacher.
Primary school
It is important to make sure that our young people have the right information and right advice, and that what we teach them reflects the world that children live in today. Relationships Education is now compulsory in all primary schools and teaches young children about healthy relationships and staying safe in an age-appropriate manner, as well as the knowledge they need to recognise and report abuse.
I understand that it is for primary schools to determine whether they need to cover any additional content on sex education to meet the needs of their pupils. Many primary schools already choose to teach some aspects of sex education and will continue to do so, although it is not a requirement. It is important that the transition phase before moving to secondary school supports pupils’ ongoing emotional and physical development effectively. The Department continues to recommend therefore that all primary schools should have a sex education programme tailored to the age and the physical and emotional maturity of the pupils.
Where a maintained primary school chooses to teach aspects of sex education (which go beyond the national curriculum for science), I understand that the school must set this out in their policy and all schools should consult with parents on what is to be covered. Primary schools that choose to teach sex education must allow parents a right to withdraw their children. Unlike sex education in RSE at secondary schools, in primary schools head teachers must comply with a parent’s wish to withdraw their child from sex education beyond the national curriculum for science.
Curriculum content and when it is taught
Schools will be required to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for Relationships Education and RSE, which will subsequently inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. Effective consultation gives the space and time for parents to input, ask questions, share concerns and for the school to decide the best way forward. What is taught, and how, is ultimately a decision for the school and consultation does not provide a parental veto on curriculum content.
Teaching Resources
I know that there have been concerns raised about the resources used by some schools when teaching RSHE. In September 2021, further guidance was issued to make clear that schools must take full responsibility for ensuring that resources used are appropriate and that at all times they abide by their statutory duty of political impartiality. The guidance also sets out that content should be age appropriate, that over-sexualised material should not be promoted to young children and that schools should not work with extremist organisations.
Gender
I understand that topics involving gender and biological sex can be extremely complex and sensitive matters to navigate. It is important that teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing. Teachers should always seek to treat individual students with sympathy and support.
LGBT education
LGBT education is included as a fully integrated part of the RSE curriculum for all pupils at, I am assured, an age-appropriate point to be decided by schools. Schools should ensure that the needs of all pupils are met and that all pupils understand the importance of equality and respect.
Schools are required to ensure that all their teaching is sensitive and age appropriate. They are also obliged to consult with parents when developing and reviewing their policies for Relationships Education and RSE, which will inform schools’ decisions on when and how certain content is covered. The Government’s guidance sets out that secondary schools should include LGBT content in their teaching, but that primary schools are strongly encouraged, and enabled, when teaching about different types of family, to include families with same sex parents. This does allow primary schools the flexibility to determine whether or not to include LGBT content, taking into account their consultation with parents and understanding of their local community.
I appreciate that concerns have been raised about the materials used and it is the case that a small number of schools have used inappropriate materials when teaching about the subject.
The Government has issued new guidance on the matter which sets out, amongst other things that, particularly at primary level, schools should be careful not to expose children to over-sexualised content; materials which suggest that non-conformity to gender stereotypes should be seen as synonymous with having a different gender identity should not be used; and that teachers should not suggest to a child that their non-compliance with gender stereotypes means that either their personality or their body is wrong and in need of changing. The full guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-your-relationships-sex-and-health-curriculum
If anybody has concerns about the specific materials that your school is using, I would encourage them to speak to the school and discuss the matter with them, with reference to the Government’s guidance.