Government consultation on relationships and sex education in English schools: have your say

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

As you may know, the Department for Education is gearing up to produce new guidance for schools in England on how to teach relationships and sex education, following the announcement that the subject will be compulsory in all schools (although parents will still be able to withdraw their children).

(As you may also know, Mumsnet has been calling for compulsory SRE in schools for some years now, based on the strength of MNer feeling on the issue.)

The DfE is now hosting a consultation to find out what parents and other stakeholders think should be included in the subject curriculum. It's in the form of a survey and takes about half an hour to complete: you can fill it in here.

You can read more about the background to the consultation here.

As ever, let us know what you think!

Thanks
MNHQ

[woman11017]

Thank youmcdog a while back a local boys grammar school was teaching the boys, baby care and parent craft, the head then was promoting a much more supportive culture for the boys.

[BetterEatCheese]

All done.

[woman11017]

This is a shocking inditement of current SRE practice:

victimfocus.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/i-had-my-first-ever-panic-attack-watching-a-cse-film-at-school-another-letter-for-nomorecsefilms/

Why are girls not being taught self defence as part of this programme?

[321namechange]

What I would have liked to add was that it should not be delivered by bringing in organisations with a desire to further their own agenda. So health professional from GUM clinic would be excellent. Speaker from Mermaids no thank you. Someone from Childline or Samaritans great!

[SecondaryTeacher]

I am curious, what are the topics people feel that parents should be responsible for teaching rather than schools?

Assuming all of the above is to be taught in school then why on earth are secondary teachers considered the best people to deliver it? We are all specialists in our respective fields but remarkably few of us should ever be delivering SRE.

The best sessions I've seen delivered were always by external nurses who can say whatever they need without consequence. Teach SRE in the same style as embarrassing bodies? I'd rather keep my job thanks.

[SecondaryTeacher]

The nurses from the GUM clinics were always the best for delivering SRE... sadly the schools can no longer afford them.

[notafish]

When teenagers were surveyed about sex and relationship education they were shown to have a strong preference for the teaching to be delivered by external experts rather than their own teachers.

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello all

St John's Ambulance has been in touch to ask parents to consider calling for first aid to be included in the PSHE curriculum. They say they are asking for 'a minimum of one hour of age-appropriate first aid to be taught every year which means [children will] leave school with a basic knowledge that could save so many more lives; possibly prevent more needless trips to A&E. Our children/pupils could save our lives and the kids get so much out of it in terms of development – e.g. greater confidence and self-esteem, strong leadership and decision-making skills, resilience and the ability to cope with adversity – skills they carry with them through life.'

If you'd like to mention this to the DfE you can do so via the same survey linked in the OP.

Thanks
MNHQ

[littlecabbage]

I have started filling this in - so important.

[prh47bridge]

Not sure how you have started to fill it in. The survey is no longer live. The consultation closed 8 months ago.

[littlecabbage]

Oops, got confused with a different one - sorry everyone!

[littlecabbage]

Thought it was this one, which is still active:

consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/

[EightysPerm]

Little cabbage

Yes that one is another one to do it closes on the 7th November.

There is a thread in feminism board called ‘have your say on sex education’. It has various links also you can see the gov calls for evidence report from this one on gov website link included on that thread

[HandsOffMyRights]

This deadlines next week.

It took me about an hour to do. There is some guidance here, which covers key issues like consent, sexting, porn and gender identity.

www.transgendertrend.com/rse-government-consultation/

[HandsOffMyRights]

I realise that the consultation originally cited, has ended.

The 'new' one I've linked to is very much live and deadlines 7 November.