The Sex Education Forum (SEF) today welcomes the Government’s proposal to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education, which includes sex and relationships education (SRE), a statutory subject in all schools across the country. This announcement, made on the day of the SEF’s 21st Birthday Conference, is in response to recommendations made by an expert group, including representatives from the SEF, who called for statutory PSHE. The move is also supported by many young people, teachers and parents, who repeatedly call for help to talk about this subject.
For many years, young people in this country have been let down by their sex and relationships education, with a recent SEF survey* showing that over one third thought their SRE was either bad or very bad.
Jane Lees, Chair of the Sex Education Forum, said: ‘We must now look at how we can help teachers improve the teaching of SRE and ensure that they have the appropriate training to handle this critical subject. We know that if teachers lack confidence or competence pupils get a poor deal.’
Anna Martinez, Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum, said: ‘In the past, we have let young people down with the poor provision of sex and relationship education and they’ve gone into the world ill-equipped to make responsible choices about their lives. Although we are still a long way from providing them with the information and skills they need to make healthy and safe choices, today’s news is a step in the right direction towards ensuring all children and young people get the best possible SRE, which is their right. We very much look forward to working with Government on the next steps. ’