Accord welcomes growing political consensus in support of  Sex and Relationships Education 

February 6, 2015

crayon-rainbowThe Accord Coalition has been campaigning for years for state funded schools to provide Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) and at last our efforts seem to be bearing fruit.

On Tuesday (February 3rd) Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Tristram Hunt, gave a set piece speech, stating that he intended to require all state funded schools to provide SRE and tackle homophobic bullying, and for schools to be provided with resources to tackle to biphobic and transphobic bullying. Meanwhile last week the Liberal Democrat’s released the latest version of its pre-General Election manifesto, which stated their intention to introduce a minimum curriculum entitlement to SRE for pupils in all state-funded schools.

The wariness of many faith schools to provide evidence led SRE was highlighted last week, when it was reported that a local NHS community education sexual health team had not been allowed to work with pupils in any of the Catholic and Muslim secondary schools in Blackburn, along with some other faith schools in East Lancashire. Concern at the health team providing information about contraception was assumed a contributory factor.

Chair of the Accord Coalition for Inclusive Education, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘Accurate and balanced SRE should be made part of the statutory curriculum that all state funded schools follow as a matter of urgency. Such a move would be in keeping with public sentiment, expert opinion and evidence, and it would better serve the future health and well-being of pupils. The growing political consensus on this subject is to be welcomed.’

‘Schools should be able to teach about a range of religious and cultural perspectives on matters related to sex and relationships. However, it is also vital that schools should be required to promote an acceptance of sexual diversity and transgendered people. Otherwise in some schools a move to combat prejudice and better promote SRE by making the subject mandatory could be undermined.’

Before Christmas the Leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, revealed his personal support for compulsory sex education in schools. The Green Party of England and Wales has long standing policy in support of adding SRE to the National Curriculum, while Plaid Cymru’s manifesto for the 2011 Welsh Assembly Elections stated it would require schools to ‘deliver preventative education about domestic violence, gender equality, healthy relationships and self-esteem.’

 

Notes

An April 2014 YovGov survey commissioned by the Jewish Chronicle stated that they believed faith schools should not be freed from a requirement to provide sex education by 82% to 9% – by a ratio of more than nine to one.

Stonewall’s 2007 ‘The School Report‘ showed that two thirds of young gay people at secondary schools had experienced homophobic bullying, but in faith schools that figure rose to three in four. The report showed lesbian and gay pupils who attended faith schools were 23% less likely to report bullying than those at non-faith schools. A follow up report published in 2012 by Stonewall found there had been an improvement, but with schools in the faith sector still less likely to take steps to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying than non-faith schools.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Accord depends on your support

Please give.

Sign up

find us on Facebook

News history