RSE/sex Ed in schools?

[Hales1985]

Hello :)
Like most people I am watching the news about the current RSE debate in England. (I live in Wales). I have tried to research what is being taught in the RSE curriculum and seem to be running around in circles.

Does anyone know what is being taught at what stage?
Can parents opt out if they feel they want to?
Are they really “sexualising” children?

From what I have read I can’t see anything that looks that controversial (although I am pretty liberal). My son starts school properly next year (primary) and I just want to be armed with the facts, not propaganda (from either side).

Sorry that this is lengthy and potentially a mind field. But I just want to be aware of what is being taught, as very confused.

No, they are not sexualising children unless you think reading books they will already have come across (Elmer, And Tango makes three etc) and being told that families come in different forms is sexualising. Primary is much more focused on the relationship side. There is a LOT of misinformation out there.

My understanding is that from September 2020 you will not be able to opt out. The curriculum at primary is predominantly relationship focussed. I believe most objections are from religious groups for whom the discussion of homosexual relationships poses a problem. There are several different schemes which produce lesson plans to help with how to cover the curriculum (some include the books mentioned in the post above). There are some objections to some of these schemes about the way they present transgender. (Ie ‘the boy in the story likes to wear a dress. Perhaps he feels he is really a girl; rather than perhaps he just likes to wear a dress). I’m no expert but that’s my understanding.

Yes you can opt out of some of it if you wish but look at what it involves. Most stuff is imbedded into daily school life so it would be impossible to opt out of it all and you wouldn’t want to. It is sex and relationships education so nursery level it will include circle time about smiling at people to help make friends and hand washing before snack time.

There are some concerns about growing transactivitism. As a parent I felt comfortable with some of what I was teaching around Trans issues and felt it did not cover the issues trans people face. This was at secondary level.

If it’s sex education specifically you are concerned about then your child’s school will be able to tell you what they teach. In the secondary school I worked at there was a lot of focus on relationships eg dealing with friendship problem, how to deal with disagreements with parents and consent.

Here is the government guidelines. You need read from page 18 for curriculum content.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781150/Draft_guidance_Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education2.pdf

At the school my little one goes to we weren't told anything and the books were in class without us knowing. I felt it was far too early for relationship advice to a 7 year old. I was shocked to realise after my own info hint that the book king and king was in the book corner. This book I found offensive as makes a mockery of marriage as the queen declared she had been married 3 times by her son's age and thinks this is funny. Relationship wise I will love my little one whatever happens when he grows up, but I want him to get to his own conclusions in his own time. As the school had a habit of going forward with subjects not just this and only informing parents once the certificate had been gained we decided to move schools.

But the future King has been married twice and the King who started the Church of England married six times.

I felt it was far too early for relationship advice to a 7 year old.

At 7y, infant school level, the relationships discussed is friendships and family rather than romantic relationships. However, we do aim to answer children's questions honestly in an age appropriate manner if they bring something up.

At my school we have a diverse range of family set ups including same sex parents, children living with other relatives rather than parents, various merged family set ups, single parents, children with a parent who has died, foster families, etc as well as your more traditional mum, dad, and two children set up. It's important to our school community that our general family and friends relationship covers these set ups.

Doesn't make it ok in my book.

Kids are entitled to reliable information about life and the diversity of human interactions. It’s better they get it in a classroom than from an unreliable internet or friends. My DD has been getting a LOT of information from her year 5 teacher in an all girls school. That part of it that religious whackos like to misrepresent as “sexualising” seems rather to be better described as gigglyfying or perhaps as providing ammunition to question or embarrass her parents. She has made me uncomfortable on several occasions but after the transient OMG I must confess to being relieved the teacher has gone over this so I don’t have to. My parents kept me in ignorance as did my own school for far too long.