The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has announced a review of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in schools. Speaking in Parliament on 8 March, the Prime Minister stated: “I have asked the Department for Education to ensure that schools are not teaching inappropriate or contested content in relationships, sex and health education. Our priority should always be the safety and wellbeing of children. Schools should also make curriculum content and materials available to parents. As a result of all this, we are bringing forward a review of RSHE statutory guidance and will start our consultation as soon as possible.”
Nearly 50 MPs had previously written to the prime minister expressing concern about the about the content of RSE. The letter was organised by Miriam Cates MP who told Parliament: “Graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely and 72 genders—this is what passes for relationships and sex education in British schools. Across the country, children are being subjected to lessons that are age-inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate, often using resources from unregulated organisations that are actively campaigning to undermine parents. This is not a victory for equality; it is a catastrophe for childhood.”
A delegation from FET met with Mrs Cates last June and provided her with a briefing on the kinds of sex education materials being used in schools. We have subsequently met with Nick Fletcher MP and other representatives in Westminster to further discuss our concerns on RSE.
An increasing number of parents are contacting FET with concern about what is being taught to their children in schools. Of particular concern is Jigsaw PSHE which contains considerable promotion of transgender and non-binary themes. Parents concerned about Jigsaw can download a letter from our website and adapt to the circumstances of their children’s school.
Jigsaw has become notorious for its lack of accountability to parents who want to view its materials. Many schools are reluctant to share the Jigsaw materials with parents arguing reasons of commercial sensitivity and copyright. However, on 31 March the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, wrote a letter to schools in which she stated: “…the Department would expect schools to avoid entering into any agreement with an external agency that seeks to prevent them from ensuring parents are properly aware of the materials that are being used to teach their children. Schools should not agree to contractual restrictions on showing parents the content used in RSHE teaching or agree to this being subject to a third party’s right of refusal…the default position must always be that the content is shared with parents. Schools need to take heed of these words and show basic respect for parents.”
The review has now been brought forward by the Prime Minister and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan who have announced that the review will be informed by an independent panel to be appointed over the coming weeks to provide external expertise. New guidance for schools on RSE will be completed by the end of the year, with Oak National Academy appointed to create new evidence-based materials.
“The panel will bring together input from health, children’s development, curriculum and safeguarding. The review will also draw on close work with Ofsted, to understand what material is currently used in the classroom, and consider what improvements might need to be made.
“The panel will advise on how to put in place clear safeguards to stop pupils from being taught contested and potentially damaging concepts, including introducing age ratings setting out what is appropriate to be taught at what age, to prevent children being taught concepts they are too young to understand.”
A review of RSE is welcome news and we can only hope that the review will be as independent as possible to ensure it appropriately balances vested interests, that it will succeed in raising greater awareness of the age-inappropriate materials being used in too many schools and encourage positive action to make our schools safer places for children.
We also hope that the review reinforces the understanding that parents are best placed to know what is age-appropriate for their child. While a panel of child development experts may be attempting to put age guidance on RSE materials, it is impossible for any age rating to be applicable across the board for every child since they mature at different rates. A blanket approach to such a sensitive issue is inadvisable, so parents must have the option to withdraw their child from all RHSE lessons if they feel it would be harmful for their child to be exposed to such content. In addition, we believe that schools should provide alternative provision for children who are withdrawn from RHSE lessons rather than isolating them or treating such withdrawal as an anomaly.
This latter point is particularly important now that the National Education Union (NEU) members voted at their annual conference in Harrogate on 5 April for more LGBT+ initiatives in schools. These include drag queen story time as well as inviting LGBT+ authors to speak to pupils. Members argued in a conference motion that such activities will help to challenge the “heteronormative” culture and curriculum which “dominates” education.
The Department for Education (DfE) states that “Both parents and schools play a key role in the education of children. Parents should therefore be encouraged to be involved in their child’s education in schools.” It is vital that parents can trust teachers not to undermine their rights as parents, and we hope that the review of RSE in schools puts parents front and centre as the DfE seeks to develop new age-appropriate materials.