Accord welcomes Education Select Committee’s call to boost Sex and Relationships Education

February 17, 2015

hoc-educationThe Accord Coalition has joined a chorus of civil society groups today in welcoming publication of the House of Common’s Education Select Committee report ‘Life lessons: PSHE and SRE in schools‘.

Chair of Accord, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain said, ‘The report highlights the major contribution high quality PSHE and SRE can make towards safeguarding children and boosting their health and well being in all schools, including faith schools. As the report notes, parents want schools to provide PSHE, teachers want better training and the evidence base shows its provision has a major impact on pupil outcomes, but the subject is being held back by a lack of funding and lowly status.’

‘In providing statutory SRE faith schools should be able to teach about a balanced range of religious and cultural perspectives on matters related to sex and relationships, but it is vital that schools be required to promote an acceptance of sexual diversity and transgendered people above all other considerations. Otherwise efforts to tackle prejudice could be undermined.’

The report has criticised the Government’s strategy for improving PSHE and SRE as ‘weak’ and asserts there being a ‘mismatch’ between its words and actions to improve the quality teaching in these areas. It found the effectiveness of PSHE and SRE in many schools to be weak. The Committee’s calls include:

  • the provision of Sex and Relationships Educations (SRE) and wider Personal, Health, Social and Economic (PSHE) education to be made statutory at both primary and secondary schools
  • the provision of PSHE and SRE in schools to be inspected by Ofsted
  • the Government to reissue and formally endorse SRE guidance produced in 2014 by the Sex Education Forum, PSHE Association and Brook
  • the Department for Education to boost funding and monitor progress in teacher training in PSHE, with the aim of ensuring that every primary and secondary schools has at least one teacher who has received specialist training in PSHE

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