Today we are seeing a lot of press interest in the Commons select committee report Life lessons: PSHE and SRE in schools. The report calls for statutory status for personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), including sex and relationships education (SRE).
Below we reveal what school leaders across the country said in The Key’s survey conducted in October 2014. Of the 1,104 who responded:
- Nine out of 10 (91.5%) believe sex and relationship education should start in either Key Stage 1 or 2
- Almost two thirds (62.8%) do not think teachers feel comfortable teaching sex and relationship education
- Eight out of 10 (81.8%) are worried about the impact that pornography is having on pupils in their school. (Nearly a quarter (24.2%) of those expressing concern were very concerned)
- Fewer than two out of 10 (15.7%) say parental objections to sex and relationship education are an issue in their school
- Four out of 10 (41.9%) think parents should NOT have the right to withdraw their children from sex and relationship education
- Almost a third (30.8%) believe parents should sometimes have the right to withdraw their children from sex and relationship education, while just over a quarter (27.4%) think parents should have the right
A report by Ofsted in 2013 found that PSHE required improvement in 40% of schools.
According to a recent article in the Guardian, the Government’s most recent advice for sex and relationships education is now 14 years old.
What do you think? Should SRE be compulsory in primary schools?