Over the past few years there have been a number of developments in UK sex education. With rising STI rates and concerns over teenage pregnancy rates and relationship violence, it has been acknowledged by parents, teachers, politicians, healthcare providers and young people that sex education needed sorting out.
Despite claims from faith groups (who have continuously opposed proposed changes), sex education is not responsible for causing sexual health and relationships problems in youth. In fact our ongoing problems in the UK are based on the fact that we don’t have reliable sex education delivered consistently to young people. What is offered is patchy and while in some areas it can be good, in others it may be poor or nonexistent.
Young people have consistently complained that sex education, where it exists, often focuses on contraception or infections, or not getting pregnant. But it doesn’t tackle the wider issues of feelings, emotions, desires, negotiation, confidence or communication. All of which they wanted to know more about – to put sex in an appropriate cultural context.
Parents for the most part endorse school based sex education, although they do worry it might undermine what they say. They do also worry they may give the wrong messages – particularly if their school or home based sex education was poor.
All of these factors, along with considerable public pressure have led to the government proposing in 2008 to make sex education statutory from September 2011.
This is an absolute disgrace and a complete betrayal to young people – who have actively requested sex education be better provided. It also represents an enormous amount of wasted time and energy for all those parents, teachers, healthcare providers and young people who have contributed to the consultation process that has informed the changes to the proposed sex and relationships (SRE) curriculum.
Sadly given how the process has been dragged out over the past four years it is perhaps unsurprising that leaving any planned changes until just before an election would result in barriers and the possibility of failure. One hopes this was not a deliberate strategy on behalf of the government. I’m not sure what is worse. That this proposed strategy for sex education was never intended to pass, or the government were too incompetent to see it through.
So what does this mean? Well, it means that sex education is not going to be compulsory in the near future. Standards of teaching will continue to vary, as will what is taught and how well it is covered. Schools will not be required to teach sex education outside of a biological framework and young people will not recieve adequate information to help them enjoy health relationships. Parents will also be unsupported to deliver sex education, when they were relying on additional help within schools.
It does not mean schools won’t teach sex education, just that we cannot guarantee what will be taught and to what standard. Meaning some young people may be okay but others may hear incorrect, outdated, misleading or judgemental information about sex.
The media, while criticising Ed Balls and the government must take stock today as they have played no small role in this sad story. The press have for the most part consistently opposed plans to improve sex education and have played upon parents fears of corrupting youngsters and undermining parental rights. All journalists and editors attacking the government on today’s announcement should also be aware that much of the blame for this crisis lies directly with them.
The consultation period for the content of sex and relationships education is still open (until 19 April) and as far as I know you can still contribute to this. This may feel like a waste of time if the teaching won’t be statutory, but given the work to make a better curriculum for young people it is worth being part of this activity which might be of use to some young people in the future.
If you are a parent, teacher, healthcare worker or young person and you are angry about this news what can you do? You can complain to your MP about the decision and find out how they viewed this aspect of the bill. If they opposed statutory sex education do not vote for them – and encourage your friends and family to do the same. You can speak to your school or college and find out what their plans are for sex education – and even if it won’t be statutory encourage them to offer high quality information to young people and support parents. If you are a parent or teacher you can talk to your PCT or organisations like Brook, Family Planning Association or Parentline Plus and get them to help you to talk to young people about sex.
Just because Labour and the Conservatives have failed us, doesn’t mean we have to let young people down too.
Young People betrayed as Sex Education in UK unlikely to be statutory
Over the past few years there have been a number of developments in UK sex education. With rising STI rates and concerns over teenage pregnancy rates and relationship violence, it has been acknowledged by parents, teachers, politicians, healthcare providers and young people that sex education needed sorting out.
Despite claims from faith groups (who have continuously opposed proposed changes), sex education is not responsible for causing sexual health and relationships problems in youth. In fact our ongoing problems in the UK are based on the fact that we don’t have reliable sex education delivered consistently to young people. What is offered is patchy and while in some areas it can be good, in others it may be poor or nonexistent.
Young people have consistently complained that sex education, where it exists, often focuses on contraception or infections, or not getting pregnant. But it doesn’t tackle the wider issues of feelings, emotions, desires, negotiation, confidence or communication. All of which they wanted to know more about – to put sex in an appropriate cultural context.
Parents for the most part endorse school based sex education, although they do worry it might undermine what they say. They do also worry they may give the wrong messages – particularly if their school or home based sex education was poor.
All of these factors, along with considerable public pressure have led to the government proposing in 2008 to make sex education statutory from September 2011.
We recently saw the Children and Families Bill start to pass through parliament with some concessions made about what faith based schools could teach . This probably should have rung warning bells as today we have heard Schools Minister Ed Balls has dropped plans for compulsory school based sex education because of Conservative opposition.
This is an absolute disgrace and a complete betrayal to young people – who have actively requested sex education be better provided. It also represents an enormous amount of wasted time and energy for all those parents, teachers, healthcare providers and young people who have contributed to the consultation process that has informed the changes to the proposed sex and relationships (SRE) curriculum.
Sadly given how the process has been dragged out over the past four years it is perhaps unsurprising that leaving any planned changes until just before an election would result in barriers and the possibility of failure. One hopes this was not a deliberate strategy on behalf of the government. I’m not sure what is worse. That this proposed strategy for sex education was never intended to pass, or the government were too incompetent to see it through.
So what does this mean? Well, it means that sex education is not going to be compulsory in the near future. Standards of teaching will continue to vary, as will what is taught and how well it is covered. Schools will not be required to teach sex education outside of a biological framework and young people will not recieve adequate information to help them enjoy health relationships. Parents will also be unsupported to deliver sex education, when they were relying on additional help within schools.
It does not mean schools won’t teach sex education, just that we cannot guarantee what will be taught and to what standard. Meaning some young people may be okay but others may hear incorrect, outdated, misleading or judgemental information about sex.
The media, while criticising Ed Balls and the government must take stock today as they have played no small role in this sad story. The press have for the most part consistently opposed plans to improve sex education and have played upon parents fears of corrupting youngsters and undermining parental rights. All journalists and editors attacking the government on today’s announcement should also be aware that much of the blame for this crisis lies directly with them.
The consultation period for the content of sex and relationships education is still open (until 19 April) and as far as I know you can still contribute to this. This may feel like a waste of time if the teaching won’t be statutory, but given the work to make a better curriculum for young people it is worth being part of this activity which might be of use to some young people in the future.
If you are a parent, teacher, healthcare worker or young person and you are angry about this news what can you do? You can complain to your MP about the decision and find out how they viewed this aspect of the bill. If they opposed statutory sex education do not vote for them – and encourage your friends and family to do the same. You can speak to your school or college and find out what their plans are for sex education – and even if it won’t be statutory encourage them to offer high quality information to young people and support parents. If you are a parent or teacher you can talk to your PCT or organisations like Brook, Family Planning Association or Parentline Plus and get them to help you to talk to young people about sex.
Just because Labour and the Conservatives have failed us, doesn’t mean we have to let young people down too.
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