Hello
As some of you may have noticed, we're featured on the front page of the Times this morning because we've co-signed a letter supporting the compulsory teaching of SRE in all state-funded schools.
Some aspects of sex ed are part of the national curriculum, but you've told us in the past that you think sex and relationships education needs to be compulsory and cover many more areas than it currently does.
Here's the full text of the letter, for those without a Times log-in:
'Dear Sir/Madam,
Tomorrow [28 January], the House of Lords will consider a vital amendment to the Children & Families Bill which would make it compulsory for all state-funded schools in England to teach sex and relationships education (‘SRE’) including sexual consent and respectful relationships.
We are a group of parents, academics, teachers, lawyers, women’s groups and child safety experts who are calling on Peers across the benches to support this amendment as a critical child protection measure.
It is a sad fact that girls in the UK experience high levels of sexual and other abuse from boyfriends, friends and family members. One in three girls experiences ‘groping’ or other unwanted sexual touching at school and there are ongoing trials of men and boys for ‘grooming’ and sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls in towns and cities across the country. We are still lifting the lid on the scale of abuse of women and girls by Savile and others under Operation Yewtree.
Schools should be places where children feel safe and supported, and where they are helped to develop healthy and respectful attitudes and behaviours. Unfortunately this is not the case at present and we have seen a swathe of reports and cases highlighting how tackling abuse and exploitation is extremely patchy in our schools. This is woefully inadequate in an age of one-click-away violent and degrading pornography online that is becoming the default sex-educator for some young people.
The proposed amendment by Baroness Maggie Jones and Baroness Beverley Hughes would ensure that children are taught about sexual consent, and learn how to develop consensual and respectful relationships. In a sexualised and sexist culture, we are simply storing up problems for the future if we do not give young people this essential information.
There is already cross party consensus on the need to prevent violence against women and girls before it begins but very little action to achieve this. Compulsory sex and relationships education would be a vital first step on this road.
Letter signed by: Justine Roberts, Mumsnet; Polly Neate, Women’s Aid; Holly Dustin, End Violence Against Women Coalition; Professor Liz Kelly, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit; Marai Larasi, Imkaan; Laura Bates, Everyday Sexism; Lee Eggleston, Rape Crisis England and Wales; Professor Clare McGlynn, University of Durham; Dr Miranda Horvath, Middlesex University; Sandra Horley, Refuge; Carlene Firmin, MsUnderstood; Kristina Massey, Canterbury Christ University; Mia Scally, Middlesex University