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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/nov/06/squeamish-sex-education-dfe-plans-doomed-to-fail-womens-group
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| DfE's 'squeamish' sex education plans doomed to fail – women's group | DfE's 'squeamish' sex education plans doomed to fail – women's group |
| (6 months later) | |
| The government’s sex education proposals focus too heavily on self-restraint and are doomed to failure unless radically revised, according to key women’s groups. | The government’s sex education proposals focus too heavily on self-restraint and are doomed to failure unless radically revised, according to key women’s groups. |
| The organisations, responding to a public consultation into sex education proposals that closes on Wednesday, argue that the government has betrayed its promise to overhaul sex and consent teaching in schools. | The organisations, responding to a public consultation into sex education proposals that closes on Wednesday, argue that the government has betrayed its promise to overhaul sex and consent teaching in schools. |
| On Tuesday, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAWC), an umbrella group of more than 80 organisations, sent a letter to the education secretary, Damian Hinds, saying that the guidance was “squeamish”, making only one mention of pornography and minimal references to menstruation. | On Tuesday, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAWC), an umbrella group of more than 80 organisations, sent a letter to the education secretary, Damian Hinds, saying that the guidance was “squeamish”, making only one mention of pornography and minimal references to menstruation. |
| The EVAWC has accused the government of pandering to religious groups by failing to make sex education compulsory before the age of 15. “This proposal is a significant climbdown and not in the spirit of what was promised last year,” said Sarah Green, the group’s co-director. | The EVAWC has accused the government of pandering to religious groups by failing to make sex education compulsory before the age of 15. “This proposal is a significant climbdown and not in the spirit of what was promised last year,” said Sarah Green, the group’s co-director. |
| She added: “The Department for Education’s proposals give a green light to schools whose leaders choose to teach only very traditional notions of sexuality, relationships and gender norms, and is generally squeamish about sex and sexuality.” | She added: “The Department for Education’s proposals give a green light to schools whose leaders choose to teach only very traditional notions of sexuality, relationships and gender norms, and is generally squeamish about sex and sexuality.” |
| Sex education to be made compulsory in secondary schools | Sex education to be made compulsory in secondary schools |
| The government has not updated its guidance on sex education for 18 years. In a change in the law pushed forward by a group of cross-party MPs in 2017, it promised to make relationships and sex education compulsory in every school in England for the first time. | The government has not updated its guidance on sex education for 18 years. In a change in the law pushed forward by a group of cross-party MPs in 2017, it promised to make relationships and sex education compulsory in every school in England for the first time. |
| It came after multiple inquiries and reports into child sexual exploitation, exposure to pornography, high levels of abuse in teenage relationships, and endemic sexual harassment and assaults on girls in and out of school. | It came after multiple inquiries and reports into child sexual exploitation, exposure to pornography, high levels of abuse in teenage relationships, and endemic sexual harassment and assaults on girls in and out of school. |
| According to the DfE’s draft proposal, while relationship education would be compulsory in primary school, sex education would not. LGBT rights groups have also expressed concerns that schools would be left to decide what was taught about sexuality and transgender issues, adding that the “religious background of all pupils must be taken into account when planning teaching”. | According to the DfE’s draft proposal, while relationship education would be compulsory in primary school, sex education would not. LGBT rights groups have also expressed concerns that schools would be left to decide what was taught about sexuality and transgender issues, adding that the “religious background of all pupils must be taken into account when planning teaching”. |
| The LGBT rights organisation Stonewall said it was concerned that the document had not met the needs of young children and omitted teaching about LGBT families in primary schools. | The LGBT rights organisation Stonewall said it was concerned that the document had not met the needs of young children and omitted teaching about LGBT families in primary schools. |
| “It’s vital schools understand the importance of LGBT inclusion, and their legal duties not to discriminate against LGBT people, and we need the new guidance to reflect this,” said Laura Russell, head of policy at Stonewall. | “It’s vital schools understand the importance of LGBT inclusion, and their legal duties not to discriminate against LGBT people, and we need the new guidance to reflect this,” said Laura Russell, head of policy at Stonewall. |
| Groups have also criticised the government’s proposal to make the teaching of female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage optional. Leyla Hussein, co-founder of the anti-FGM charity Daughters of Eve, said: “Yet again a group of girls are missed based on their background. FGM is a serious sexual assault against children. If we don’t warn and teach our young people at school, where will they get this information?” | Groups have also criticised the government’s proposal to make the teaching of female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage optional. Leyla Hussein, co-founder of the anti-FGM charity Daughters of Eve, said: “Yet again a group of girls are missed based on their background. FGM is a serious sexual assault against children. If we don’t warn and teach our young people at school, where will they get this information?” |
| The letter to Hinds from EVAWC states that the government has failed to connect a lack of equality to the violence experienced by women and girls. The group said the emphasis on “self-control”, “managing peer pressure” and “resisting pressure to have sex” risked worsening the situation for young victims of sexual assault by minimising the role of “perpetrators and their choices” and preventing young women from coming forward. | The letter to Hinds from EVAWC states that the government has failed to connect a lack of equality to the violence experienced by women and girls. The group said the emphasis on “self-control”, “managing peer pressure” and “resisting pressure to have sex” risked worsening the situation for young victims of sexual assault by minimising the role of “perpetrators and their choices” and preventing young women from coming forward. |
| The letter says: “We are particularly concerned that the proposed guidance permits schools to pick and choose whether and how to teach about the law in relation to all forms of violence against women, and the connection between this abuse and women’s equality, something young people live and understand and seek guidance about from trusted adults.” | The letter says: “We are particularly concerned that the proposed guidance permits schools to pick and choose whether and how to teach about the law in relation to all forms of violence against women, and the connection between this abuse and women’s equality, something young people live and understand and seek guidance about from trusted adults.” |
| The Department for Education said: “We are making relationships education compulsory at primary school, as well as relationships and sex education compulsory at secondary school. Pupils will be taught age-appropriate content, on topics such as consent, being safe in various situations, and the different types of respectful relationships. | The Department for Education said: “We are making relationships education compulsory at primary school, as well as relationships and sex education compulsory at secondary school. Pupils will be taught age-appropriate content, on topics such as consent, being safe in various situations, and the different types of respectful relationships. |
| “Violence and abuse is unacceptable in any context and there is already clear guidance in place setting out schools’ responsibilities on these issues. The new draft RSE guidance – which we have been consulting on – is designed to complement this existing guidance rather than replace it. We will reflect on feedback from the consultation to make sure the draft guidance is clear and supports all young people.” | “Violence and abuse is unacceptable in any context and there is already clear guidance in place setting out schools’ responsibilities on these issues. The new draft RSE guidance – which we have been consulting on – is designed to complement this existing guidance rather than replace it. We will reflect on feedback from the consultation to make sure the draft guidance is clear and supports all young people.” |
| Relationships and sex education | |
| Schools | Schools |
| Children | Children |
| Secondary schools | Secondary schools |
| Women | Women |
| Female genital mutilation (FGM) | Female genital mutilation (FGM) |
| Pornography | Pornography |
| news | news |
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