The British government is to review how relationships and sex education are being taught in schools, following concerns from MPs that children are being exposed to “extreme, sexualising” content.
On Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions, Rishi Sunak said he asked the Department for Education (DfE) to “ensure that schools are not teaching inappropriate or contested content” in Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE).
“Our priority should always be the safety and wellbeing of children and schools should also make curriculum content and materials available to parents,” he said.
“As a result of all of this, we are bringing forward a review of RSHE statutory guidance and we will start our consultation as soon as possible,” he added.
Graphic Lessons
Conservative MP Miriam Cates raised the issue and said that pupils were being subjected to relationships and sex education classes that are “age inappropriate, extreme, sexualising, and inaccurate.”
Cates called on Sunak to commission an independent inquiry to “end inappropriate sex education.”
“Graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely, and 72 genders. This is what passes for relationships and sex education in British schools,” she said.
“Across the country, children are being subjected to lessons that are age inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate, often using resources from unregulated organisations that are actively campaigning to undermine parents,” she added.
“This is not a victory for equality, it is a catastrophe for childhood,” said Cates.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We believe children should be supported to make informed decisions and those need to be factually based and age appropriate.
“So the PM has asked for the Department of Education to look at some of the issues raised by the MPs in the letter to him to make sure all schools are compliant with existing guidance.”