Relationshis & Sex Education Part 1
You may be aware of the protests in Birmingham, by mainly Muslim parents, about the implementation of an initiative by the Department for Education. Potentially, it has profound implications for Latter-day Saints as well, which I will explore over the next few weeks. For now, here is a summary for those who may wonder what all the fuss is about:
From September 2020 it will be compulsory to teach “Relationships Education” in all Primary Schools and “Relationships and Sex Education” in all Secondary schools in England and Wales.
The DfE is encouraging schools to be “early adopters” and begin sooner that that; it has already appeared in some schools and will appear in many more over the coming year.
Parents have no right of withdrawal for their children from Relationships Education but will continue to have a limited right of withdrawal from Sex Education.
There is no detailed curriculum. Topics and objectives are provided but it is up to individual schools to decide how and what to teach. What is taught should be “age appropriate”, with due regard to the religious background of the pupils and parents — although this has been problematic in some Birmingham schools. Schools are expected to consult with parents over the development of their RSE curriculum.