Sex and relationships education (SRE) is a subject I have discussed before, but one I feel compelled to return to. With existing Department for Education (DfE) guidance out of step with the internet age, a statutory requirement only to address a few biological aspects of sex education in science, and a lack of consistency in how the subject is taught, children are being denied a source of reliable information about growing up. But the desire for change is palpable, and schools should reflect the zeitgeist by taking stock of their own SRE policy.
The Liberal Democrats have made a manifesto pledge to make SRE compulsory from age seven and Labour say they want the subject to start from key stage 1. Meanwhile, the Education Select Committee is considering whether or not PSHE ought to be statutory, and will investigate the quality of SRE teaching. The committee will hopefully think long and hard about the shadow cast by child sexual abuse uncovered in Rotherham and by Operation Yewtree.
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