KULTUR KAMPF
Curbs on sex education use pupils as ‘political football’, school leaders say
Richard Adams
Tories Accused Of Using Pupils As 'Political Football' Over Sex Education Crackdown
Kevin Schofield
Eleanor Busby,
James Rodger
Neil Shaw
Richard Adams
Education editor
THE GUARDIAN
Wed, 15 May 2024
Under the proposals, primary schools in England will be limited to teaching ‘basic facts’ about conception and birth.Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
School leaders have accused the government of using children as “a political football” over its proposals to restrict sex education lessons by age in England.
The revised guidance, to be published on Thursday, outlines what topics could be taught to specific age groups, as well as allowing parents access to teaching materials used and further restrict how teachers address gender and sexuality, after pressure from Conservative MPs.
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the BBC: “Pupils are being placed in the middle of a highly sensitive subject and being used as a political football for the sake of headlines when we should be focusing on their wellbeing.”
Di’Iasio added: “We do not think the government has handled the important matter of the teaching of sex education with the care it deserves. It has not consulted with school leaders and we have not seen the guidance that is planned other than through leaked reports to the media.”
Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, will propose the new age ratings for relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools to ensure it is “appropriately and sensitively taught,” according to the Department for Education (DfE).
The revised guidance will restrict explicit discussions of important topics such as contraception and sexual violence until children are in year 9, the third year of secondary school when most pupils are 13.
Keegan said the revised guidance “will support schools with how and when to teach often difficult and sensitive topics, leaving no doubt about what is appropriate to teach pupils at every stage of school.
“Parents can be reassured once and for all their children will only learn age-appropriate content.”
Sex education will not be taught before year 5, and at that point “from a purely scientific standpoint”. The current guidance allows primary schools to decide whether they need to cover any aspect of sex education, based on the needs of their pupils rather than by age.
The guidance will also require schools to show parents all classroom material to be used – a key demand lobbied for by a group of Conservative MPs.
The DfE said the consultation followed “multiple reports of disturbing materials being used in RSHE lessons,” with the updated guidance aiming to ensure that content is factual and that children have the capacity to understand what they are being taught.
While the DfE’s commentary states that “the contested theory of gender identity will not be taught,” the guidance will still allow secondary school pupils to learn about legally protected characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
“In light of the Cass review, it is important that schools take a cautious approach to teaching about this sensitive topic, and do not use any materials that present contested views as fact, including the view that gender is a spectrum,” the DfE said.
Related: Trans guidance tells English schools to consider social media influence on pupils asking to transition
The guidance will be expanded to include a dedicated section on sexual harassment and sexual violence, including abusive behaviour such as stalking, as well as advice for teachers about how to address misogynistic online influencers.
Additional content on suicide prevention will be included in the secondary health and wellbeing section, intended to equip pupils to recognise when they or their peers need help.
Louis Appleby, chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, said: “It’s vital that young people are able to understand thoughts of suicide or self-harm that they may be feeling, and that schools are confident in addressing this most sensitive of subjects. The new guidance aims to break down the shame that can make it hard to ask for help and, crucially, places an emphasis on safe ways of coping.”
The DfE said the guidance would help young people understand the benefits of rationing their time spent online and its impact on their wellbeing, and the serious risks of viewing content that promotes self-harm and suicide.
The revisions have been under discussion within the government since March 2023, when Rishi Sunak promised to bring forward new guidance. That followed more than 50 Conservative MPs lobbying the prime minister with claims that children were being “indoctrinated with radical and unevidenced ideologies” about sex and gender.
Presenting the new guidance, Sunak said: “Parents rightly trust that when they send their children to school, they are kept safe and will not be exposed to disturbing content that is inappropriate for their age. That’s why I was horrified to hear reports of this happening in our classrooms last year.”
RSHE is a mandatory subject to be taught in all secondary schools in England, while relationships education has also been compulsory for primary schools since September 2020.
A public consultation on the updated guidance opens on Thursday and will remain open for nine weeks.
Wed, 15 May 2024
Under the proposals, primary schools in England will be limited to teaching ‘basic facts’ about conception and birth.Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
School leaders have accused the government of using children as “a political football” over its proposals to restrict sex education lessons by age in England.
The revised guidance, to be published on Thursday, outlines what topics could be taught to specific age groups, as well as allowing parents access to teaching materials used and further restrict how teachers address gender and sexuality, after pressure from Conservative MPs.
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the BBC: “Pupils are being placed in the middle of a highly sensitive subject and being used as a political football for the sake of headlines when we should be focusing on their wellbeing.”
Di’Iasio added: “We do not think the government has handled the important matter of the teaching of sex education with the care it deserves. It has not consulted with school leaders and we have not seen the guidance that is planned other than through leaked reports to the media.”
Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, will propose the new age ratings for relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools to ensure it is “appropriately and sensitively taught,” according to the Department for Education (DfE).
The revised guidance will restrict explicit discussions of important topics such as contraception and sexual violence until children are in year 9, the third year of secondary school when most pupils are 13.
Keegan said the revised guidance “will support schools with how and when to teach often difficult and sensitive topics, leaving no doubt about what is appropriate to teach pupils at every stage of school.
“Parents can be reassured once and for all their children will only learn age-appropriate content.”
Sex education will not be taught before year 5, and at that point “from a purely scientific standpoint”. The current guidance allows primary schools to decide whether they need to cover any aspect of sex education, based on the needs of their pupils rather than by age.
The guidance will also require schools to show parents all classroom material to be used – a key demand lobbied for by a group of Conservative MPs.
The DfE said the consultation followed “multiple reports of disturbing materials being used in RSHE lessons,” with the updated guidance aiming to ensure that content is factual and that children have the capacity to understand what they are being taught.
While the DfE’s commentary states that “the contested theory of gender identity will not be taught,” the guidance will still allow secondary school pupils to learn about legally protected characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
“In light of the Cass review, it is important that schools take a cautious approach to teaching about this sensitive topic, and do not use any materials that present contested views as fact, including the view that gender is a spectrum,” the DfE said.
Related: Trans guidance tells English schools to consider social media influence on pupils asking to transition
The guidance will be expanded to include a dedicated section on sexual harassment and sexual violence, including abusive behaviour such as stalking, as well as advice for teachers about how to address misogynistic online influencers.
Additional content on suicide prevention will be included in the secondary health and wellbeing section, intended to equip pupils to recognise when they or their peers need help.
Louis Appleby, chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, said: “It’s vital that young people are able to understand thoughts of suicide or self-harm that they may be feeling, and that schools are confident in addressing this most sensitive of subjects. The new guidance aims to break down the shame that can make it hard to ask for help and, crucially, places an emphasis on safe ways of coping.”
The DfE said the guidance would help young people understand the benefits of rationing their time spent online and its impact on their wellbeing, and the serious risks of viewing content that promotes self-harm and suicide.
The revisions have been under discussion within the government since March 2023, when Rishi Sunak promised to bring forward new guidance. That followed more than 50 Conservative MPs lobbying the prime minister with claims that children were being “indoctrinated with radical and unevidenced ideologies” about sex and gender.
Presenting the new guidance, Sunak said: “Parents rightly trust that when they send their children to school, they are kept safe and will not be exposed to disturbing content that is inappropriate for their age. That’s why I was horrified to hear reports of this happening in our classrooms last year.”
RSHE is a mandatory subject to be taught in all secondary schools in England, while relationships education has also been compulsory for primary schools since September 2020.
A public consultation on the updated guidance opens on Thursday and will remain open for nine weeks.
Age curbs on sex education topics risk making some children vulnerable
Richard Adams
Richard Adams
Education editor
THE GUARDIAN
Wed, 15 May 2024
The revised guidance is expected to restrict ‘explicit’ teaching of subjects such as contraception and abortion to year 9.Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA
When it comes to sex education in schools in England, teachers and experts agree on one thing: using age alone to determine what topics to cover and what to avoid risks leaving some children more vulnerable.
Headlines announcing the new guidance, to be published under consultation this week, focused on its bar on teaching sex education in primary schools to children earlier than year 5, when they are aged 9.
The revised guidance is also expected to set topics to be discussed in secondary schools, with “explicit” teaching of subjects such as contraception and abortion restricted to year 9.
Jo Morgan, a former teacher who now runs workshops in schools, said the proposed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance needs to guard against “arbitrary age cutoffs” that fail to support young people when they might need it.
Related: Sex education in English schools set to be banned before children are nine
She said: “You want to ensure the curriculum is very age and stage appropriate but you don’t want to be delivering things too late and leaving students at risk.
“Every school will be different, and within a school each class will be different. I was a teacher for many years, teaching sex education, and you can walk into a year 7 class or a year 9 class and have a very different experience with a different class.
“What I’d want to see is a statutory sex education that prioritises the subject and gives teachers the time and resources to tailor a curriculum to their students’ needs. Being generic, one-size-fits all, won’t work.”
Dr Katie Malbon, a consultant paediatrician and chief medical adviser for the teen wellbeing app luna, said: “Paediatricians in the NHS are seeing girls starting their periods earlier, as young as eight years old, so restricting education around sex and contraception until after this point only explains half of the biological story, which is only going to lead to more unanswered questions.
“On top of this, surveys show that 96% of 8- to 11-year-olds have a smartphone, which means they can find ways to access this information in unsafe ways via internet searches and often via secret TikTok accounts – leading to misinformation and potentially distressing content being accessed.”
School leaders also fear restricting topics to fixed age groups would create more difficulties than the government thinks it will solve.
“We have serious concerns about how potential ‘limits’ would work in practice,” said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers.
“Schools already work hard to ensure that the curriculum and teaching is age-appropriate based on the current government guidance and have the vital flexibility to respond to their own community and the needs of pupils in their schools.
“We cannot ignore the fact that some children and young people are already accessing information from different sources outside of school. It is hard to see how rigid limits on what can be discussed and when would be in the best interests of young people.”
The PSHE Association, the national body for personal, social, health and economic teaching, said the existing curriculum “has had a positive impact” since it was introduced in 2020, and hopes that the revised guidance will not reverse the progress that has been made.
Morgan said one worry is that the revision is more politically motivated than about protecting children. “My concern is that this gives the impression that relationships and sex education is somehow sexualising children and harming them, when in fact what it is doing is protecting them and is absolutely necessary. It’s more important now than ever before.”
Wed, 15 May 2024
The revised guidance is expected to restrict ‘explicit’ teaching of subjects such as contraception and abortion to year 9.Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA
When it comes to sex education in schools in England, teachers and experts agree on one thing: using age alone to determine what topics to cover and what to avoid risks leaving some children more vulnerable.
Headlines announcing the new guidance, to be published under consultation this week, focused on its bar on teaching sex education in primary schools to children earlier than year 5, when they are aged 9.
The revised guidance is also expected to set topics to be discussed in secondary schools, with “explicit” teaching of subjects such as contraception and abortion restricted to year 9.
Jo Morgan, a former teacher who now runs workshops in schools, said the proposed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance needs to guard against “arbitrary age cutoffs” that fail to support young people when they might need it.
Related: Sex education in English schools set to be banned before children are nine
She said: “You want to ensure the curriculum is very age and stage appropriate but you don’t want to be delivering things too late and leaving students at risk.
“Every school will be different, and within a school each class will be different. I was a teacher for many years, teaching sex education, and you can walk into a year 7 class or a year 9 class and have a very different experience with a different class.
“What I’d want to see is a statutory sex education that prioritises the subject and gives teachers the time and resources to tailor a curriculum to their students’ needs. Being generic, one-size-fits all, won’t work.”
Dr Katie Malbon, a consultant paediatrician and chief medical adviser for the teen wellbeing app luna, said: “Paediatricians in the NHS are seeing girls starting their periods earlier, as young as eight years old, so restricting education around sex and contraception until after this point only explains half of the biological story, which is only going to lead to more unanswered questions.
“On top of this, surveys show that 96% of 8- to 11-year-olds have a smartphone, which means they can find ways to access this information in unsafe ways via internet searches and often via secret TikTok accounts – leading to misinformation and potentially distressing content being accessed.”
School leaders also fear restricting topics to fixed age groups would create more difficulties than the government thinks it will solve.
“We have serious concerns about how potential ‘limits’ would work in practice,” said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers.
“Schools already work hard to ensure that the curriculum and teaching is age-appropriate based on the current government guidance and have the vital flexibility to respond to their own community and the needs of pupils in their schools.
“We cannot ignore the fact that some children and young people are already accessing information from different sources outside of school. It is hard to see how rigid limits on what can be discussed and when would be in the best interests of young people.”
The PSHE Association, the national body for personal, social, health and economic teaching, said the existing curriculum “has had a positive impact” since it was introduced in 2020, and hopes that the revised guidance will not reverse the progress that has been made.
Morgan said one worry is that the revision is more politically motivated than about protecting children. “My concern is that this gives the impression that relationships and sex education is somehow sexualising children and harming them, when in fact what it is doing is protecting them and is absolutely necessary. It’s more important now than ever before.”
Tories Accused Of Using Pupils As 'Political Football' Over Sex Education Crackdown
Kevin Schofield
HUFFPOST
Wed, 15 May 2024
Matthew Horwood via Getty Images
Tory ministers have been accused of using school pupils as “a political football” over plans to crack down on “explicit” sex education lessons.
The government is reportedly planning to tell schools not to teach under-13s that they can change gender identity because it is a highly-contested area.
According to The Times, the guidance will also impose age limits on sex education for the first time.
It will say that children should not be given any form of sex education in primary school until Year 5, when lessons should be limited to the basic facts of conception and birth.
Explicit discussions of sexual acts - including conversations about contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion - should not take place until Year 9.
It follows concerns from some Tory MPs that school pupils are being exposed to “inappropriate” lessons at too young an age.
But a leading headteacher this morning accused the government of being more concerned about chasing headlines than the welfare of young people.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the association of school and college leaders, told Radio Four’s Today programme: “Teachers and professionals will feel that these issues are perhaps being politicised when we want well-informed and evidence-based decisions that have got clarity behind them.
“I can’t help but feel that the fact we’re hearing about these on the front page of newspapers today means that what we’re seeing is that pupils are being placed in the middle of a highly-sensitive subject and being used as a political football for the sake of headlines when we should be focusing on their wellbeing.”
He added: “Whilst we welcome a chance to look at this, we also need the flexibility to respond to whatever those particular needs are.
“But that needs to be supported by clarity in terms of the guidance, but also an ideal that that evidence has come from evidence-based research and not just something that’s been swayed by some backbenchers who feel it’s important for them to gain political points.”
However, policing minister Chris Philp said he welcomed the move towards age-appropriate sex education lessons.
He said: “Speaking as a parent, I don’t want children who are very young being exposed to inappropriate sexual material at school, and the whole trans debate is a contested political issue and that shouldn’t be taught as fact to young people.”
Wed, 15 May 2024
Matthew Horwood via Getty Images
Tory ministers have been accused of using school pupils as “a political football” over plans to crack down on “explicit” sex education lessons.
The government is reportedly planning to tell schools not to teach under-13s that they can change gender identity because it is a highly-contested area.
According to The Times, the guidance will also impose age limits on sex education for the first time.
It will say that children should not be given any form of sex education in primary school until Year 5, when lessons should be limited to the basic facts of conception and birth.
Explicit discussions of sexual acts - including conversations about contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion - should not take place until Year 9.
It follows concerns from some Tory MPs that school pupils are being exposed to “inappropriate” lessons at too young an age.
But a leading headteacher this morning accused the government of being more concerned about chasing headlines than the welfare of young people.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the association of school and college leaders, told Radio Four’s Today programme: “Teachers and professionals will feel that these issues are perhaps being politicised when we want well-informed and evidence-based decisions that have got clarity behind them.
“I can’t help but feel that the fact we’re hearing about these on the front page of newspapers today means that what we’re seeing is that pupils are being placed in the middle of a highly-sensitive subject and being used as a political football for the sake of headlines when we should be focusing on their wellbeing.”
He added: “Whilst we welcome a chance to look at this, we also need the flexibility to respond to whatever those particular needs are.
“But that needs to be supported by clarity in terms of the guidance, but also an ideal that that evidence has come from evidence-based research and not just something that’s been swayed by some backbenchers who feel it’s important for them to gain political points.”
However, policing minister Chris Philp said he welcomed the move towards age-appropriate sex education lessons.
He said: “Speaking as a parent, I don’t want children who are very young being exposed to inappropriate sexual material at school, and the whole trans debate is a contested political issue and that shouldn’t be taught as fact to young people.”
Age limits on sex education could see children turn to ‘less reliable sources’
Eleanor Busby,
PA Education Correspondent
Wed, 15 May 2024
Age limits on when sex education can be taught could risk children seeking information from “less reliable sources”, a school leaders’ union has warned.
Schools in England are set to be told not to teach children sex education until pupils are aged nine and over, with explicit conversations delayed until they are aged 13, reports suggest.
The revised guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, is also expected to tell schools to avoid proactively teaching children about gender identity and instead explain the “biological” facts about sex, according to the Times newspaper.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has called on the Government to provide evidence which shows that “rigid” age limits will improve the support, protection and safeguarding of pupils.
Meanwhile, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has accused the Government of not handling the teaching of sex education “with the care it deserves” amid the leaked media reports.
The revised guidance is from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (Lucy North/PA)
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We cannot ignore the fact that some children and young people are already accessing information from different sources outside of school. This may lead to questions that need careful handling from trained professionals.
“It is hard to see how rigid limits on what can be discussed and when would be in the best interests of young people – and this may even risk them seeking information from less reliable sources.”
Mr Whiteman – who called the leaked reports “utterly disgraceful” – added: “If what has been leaked is accurate, the Government must provide the evidence which unequivocally shows that such age limits will improve the support, protection and safeguarding of children and young people.”
The Department for Education (DfE) has not yet published a consultation on revised RSHE guidance.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “We do not think the Government has handled the important matter of the teaching of sex education with the care it deserves.
“It has not consulted with school leaders and we have not seen the guidance that is planned other than through leaked reports to the media.”
On the reports that age limits will be set on what children can be taught, Mr Di’Iasio said: “There does need to be some flexibility for school leaders to respond to the circumstances in their context.
“For example, there is often damaging misinformation circulating on social media which they may need to address in order to safeguard the wellbeing of their pupils.”
The revised guidance is expected to say explicit conversations about contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion should not take place until Year 9, according to reports.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced a review of its statutory RSHE guidance for schools in March last year after hearing concerns that children were being exposed to “inappropriate” content.
Policing minister Chris Philp said on Wednesday that the Education Secretary’s new guidance on sex education is due to come out shortly and he expects changes to come into force quickly.
He told GB News: “As a parent as well, I don’t want my children, to be honest, to be exposed to inappropriate content at a pretty young age and nor do I want politically contested ideas like the trans issues being taught as if they’re facts.
“I think childhood is a really special time and I don’t think we need to introduce some of these ideas too early.
“So I think the changes that are likely to come are going to be very welcome and as I say, I know the Education Secretary will get on and do them as quickly as possible. As a parent I strongly welcome that.”
An independent panel was appointed to advise on age ratings in May last year as part of the review into sex education in schools led by the DfE.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it would be “irresponsible” to shut down conversations on issues which affect children from a young age until the teenage years.
He said: “Schools need clear and constructive support about how to respond to the issues children and young people face, read about online and chat about in the playground.
“Primary-aged children pick up information online and need the opportunity to discuss puberty and relationships and their bodies with trusted adults.”
Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, said: “Transparency is the word that needs to be written all over new guidance, to make sure that parents are given the information they need.”
He added: “Parents not only want to protect the innocence of their children but also wish to see them develop a healthy understanding of relationships and sex when they themselves feel it is appropriate to do so.
“To help them be part of that journey, parents are asking schools to be completely open and transparent with the foundations they are putting in place for perhaps the most important construct a child will have.
“When schools fail to be transparent with parents, it’s natural to wonder what they’re hiding but when parents who have full transparency on what their children are being taught in RSHE are four times more likely to say they were happy with these lessons.”
Since September 2020, relationships and sex education has been compulsory in secondary schools in England, while relationships education has been compulsory in primary schools.
The DfE has been approached for comment.
Schools in England announce new 'ban' affecting all children under nine
Wed, 15 May 2024
Age limits on when sex education can be taught could risk children seeking information from “less reliable sources”, a school leaders’ union has warned.
Schools in England are set to be told not to teach children sex education until pupils are aged nine and over, with explicit conversations delayed until they are aged 13, reports suggest.
The revised guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, is also expected to tell schools to avoid proactively teaching children about gender identity and instead explain the “biological” facts about sex, according to the Times newspaper.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has called on the Government to provide evidence which shows that “rigid” age limits will improve the support, protection and safeguarding of pupils.
Meanwhile, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has accused the Government of not handling the teaching of sex education “with the care it deserves” amid the leaked media reports.
The revised guidance is from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (Lucy North/PA)
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We cannot ignore the fact that some children and young people are already accessing information from different sources outside of school. This may lead to questions that need careful handling from trained professionals.
“It is hard to see how rigid limits on what can be discussed and when would be in the best interests of young people – and this may even risk them seeking information from less reliable sources.”
Mr Whiteman – who called the leaked reports “utterly disgraceful” – added: “If what has been leaked is accurate, the Government must provide the evidence which unequivocally shows that such age limits will improve the support, protection and safeguarding of children and young people.”
The Department for Education (DfE) has not yet published a consultation on revised RSHE guidance.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “We do not think the Government has handled the important matter of the teaching of sex education with the care it deserves.
“It has not consulted with school leaders and we have not seen the guidance that is planned other than through leaked reports to the media.”
On the reports that age limits will be set on what children can be taught, Mr Di’Iasio said: “There does need to be some flexibility for school leaders to respond to the circumstances in their context.
“For example, there is often damaging misinformation circulating on social media which they may need to address in order to safeguard the wellbeing of their pupils.”
The revised guidance is expected to say explicit conversations about contraception, sexually transmitted infections and abortion should not take place until Year 9, according to reports.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced a review of its statutory RSHE guidance for schools in March last year after hearing concerns that children were being exposed to “inappropriate” content.
Policing minister Chris Philp said on Wednesday that the Education Secretary’s new guidance on sex education is due to come out shortly and he expects changes to come into force quickly.
He told GB News: “As a parent as well, I don’t want my children, to be honest, to be exposed to inappropriate content at a pretty young age and nor do I want politically contested ideas like the trans issues being taught as if they’re facts.
“I think childhood is a really special time and I don’t think we need to introduce some of these ideas too early.
“So I think the changes that are likely to come are going to be very welcome and as I say, I know the Education Secretary will get on and do them as quickly as possible. As a parent I strongly welcome that.”
An independent panel was appointed to advise on age ratings in May last year as part of the review into sex education in schools led by the DfE.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it would be “irresponsible” to shut down conversations on issues which affect children from a young age until the teenage years.
He said: “Schools need clear and constructive support about how to respond to the issues children and young people face, read about online and chat about in the playground.
“Primary-aged children pick up information online and need the opportunity to discuss puberty and relationships and their bodies with trusted adults.”
Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, said: “Transparency is the word that needs to be written all over new guidance, to make sure that parents are given the information they need.”
He added: “Parents not only want to protect the innocence of their children but also wish to see them develop a healthy understanding of relationships and sex when they themselves feel it is appropriate to do so.
“To help them be part of that journey, parents are asking schools to be completely open and transparent with the foundations they are putting in place for perhaps the most important construct a child will have.
“When schools fail to be transparent with parents, it’s natural to wonder what they’re hiding but when parents who have full transparency on what their children are being taught in RSHE are four times more likely to say they were happy with these lessons.”
Since September 2020, relationships and sex education has been compulsory in secondary schools in England, while relationships education has been compulsory in primary schools.
The DfE has been approached for comment.
Schools in England announce new 'ban' affecting all children under nine
James Rodger
Wed, 15 May 2024
Schools in England face a new ban affecting children aged up to nine. Sex education in England’s primary schools is to be banned to those aged nine and over, according to new guidance to be proposed by the government.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will tell teachers to explain “biological” facts and announce a consultation that proposes schools be barred from teaching sex education of any type before year 5, when children are nine years old.
A Whitehall source said: “Most schools are doing a great job [teaching sex and relationship education], however, there have been many concerning reports, and these limits are based on advice from an expert panel.”
“It’s never an easy balance to make to ensure children are both prepared but also able to remain children but this guidance achieves that,” the source said. The Daily Telegraph reported that the details were “still being finalised”.
The Telegraph also reported that the guidance will make clear that “gender ideology” involving discussions regarding changes of gender is a “contested subject”. A second source said: "Any other contested view: schools should ensure they are clear that it is a contested view and fairly present all sides."
The revised guidelines are said to be far more detailed on what schools can teach in sex education up to the age of 13. Up until that age, reports in the Telegraph, a national newspaper, suggest the content of sex education lessons will be limited to “basic facts” of conception and birth.
Schools in England will be expected to focus on the importance of families, friendships and ensuring that relationships are “respectful”, according to reports. This will reportedly include a discussion of damaging stereotypes and role.
The Telegraph also reports the new classes and guidelines for schools will explore the dangers of social media and online relationships.
Schools in England face a new ban affecting children aged up to nine. Sex education in England’s primary schools is to be banned to those aged nine and over, according to new guidance to be proposed by the government.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will tell teachers to explain “biological” facts and announce a consultation that proposes schools be barred from teaching sex education of any type before year 5, when children are nine years old.
A Whitehall source said: “Most schools are doing a great job [teaching sex and relationship education], however, there have been many concerning reports, and these limits are based on advice from an expert panel.”
“It’s never an easy balance to make to ensure children are both prepared but also able to remain children but this guidance achieves that,” the source said. The Daily Telegraph reported that the details were “still being finalised”.
The Telegraph also reported that the guidance will make clear that “gender ideology” involving discussions regarding changes of gender is a “contested subject”. A second source said: "Any other contested view: schools should ensure they are clear that it is a contested view and fairly present all sides."
The revised guidelines are said to be far more detailed on what schools can teach in sex education up to the age of 13. Up until that age, reports in the Telegraph, a national newspaper, suggest the content of sex education lessons will be limited to “basic facts” of conception and birth.
Schools in England will be expected to focus on the importance of families, friendships and ensuring that relationships are “respectful”, according to reports. This will reportedly include a discussion of damaging stereotypes and role.
The Telegraph also reports the new classes and guidelines for schools will explore the dangers of social media and online relationships.
Young children to be banned from learning about sex and gender identity
Neil Shaw
WALES ONLINE
Wed, 15 May 2024
Age limits are set to be imposed for the first time on when children can be taught about sex education, reports have suggested. Schools will be told not to teach children any form of sex education until year 5, when pupils are aged nine, according to the Times newspaper.
Other measures set to be announced by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will prevent children from being taught they can change their gender identity, and rules out any explicit conversations about sex until they are aged 13, the newspaper said. Children would also not be taught about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and abortion until this age.
The new guidance is reportedly part of the Government’s response following concerns that some children are receiving age-inappropriate relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). The Times reported schools will be required to provide parents with samples of the material their children will be taught to quell these fears.
RSHE was made mandatory in all schools in England from September 2020. The existing guidance outlines broad lesson modules which says primary school aged children should be taught about different types of families and healthy relationships.
Secondary school aged children meanwhile are taught more complex topics, including about puberty, sexual relationships, consent, unsafe relationships and online harms. The Prime Minister commissioned a review into the curriculum after hearing concerns, including from Conservative MPs, that children were receiving sex education lessons at too young an age.
The Department for Education said it could not confirm the newspaper reports, and that it would not speculate on leaks.
Wed, 15 May 2024
Age limits are set to be imposed for the first time on when children can be taught about sex education, reports have suggested. Schools will be told not to teach children any form of sex education until year 5, when pupils are aged nine, according to the Times newspaper.
Other measures set to be announced by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will prevent children from being taught they can change their gender identity, and rules out any explicit conversations about sex until they are aged 13, the newspaper said. Children would also not be taught about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and abortion until this age.
The new guidance is reportedly part of the Government’s response following concerns that some children are receiving age-inappropriate relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). The Times reported schools will be required to provide parents with samples of the material their children will be taught to quell these fears.
RSHE was made mandatory in all schools in England from September 2020. The existing guidance outlines broad lesson modules which says primary school aged children should be taught about different types of families and healthy relationships.
Secondary school aged children meanwhile are taught more complex topics, including about puberty, sexual relationships, consent, unsafe relationships and online harms. The Prime Minister commissioned a review into the curriculum after hearing concerns, including from Conservative MPs, that children were receiving sex education lessons at too young an age.
The Department for Education said it could not confirm the newspaper reports, and that it would not speculate on leaks.
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