Primary pupils to have lessons in ‘safe, healthy relationships’

Primary school pupils will be taught about ‘ safe and healthy relationships’ under plans expected to be announced shortly.

Lessons about sex would also be delivered at an appropriate age, while all secondary school pupils would be taught how to protect themselves against sexting, grooming and online porn, it is understood.

The classes would be mandatory in all schools in an effort to help youngsters deal with the growth of online porn and social media.

Education Secretary Justine Greening is understood to be planning a new sex and relationships curriculum for all schools and is being backed by Prime minister Theresa may.

Currently, only council-run schools are obliged to teach such topics although many academies and private schools do voluntarily. However, some very religious schools have shied away from it and say it should be a matter for parents to tackle in their own time.

in a widespread campaign charities, mPs and local authorities have all called for sex and relationships education (SrE) to be made a statutory part of the curriculum.

it would be the biggest overhaul of SrE in 17 years, with campaigners saying it is long overdue to deal with today’s pressures on young people. it comes amid reports of increasing numbers of young children accessing hardcore porn on their smartphones and tablets.

many teenagers are now duped into sending sexual images of themselves to their peers, which are then shared on the internet.

a recent NSPCC study found that 7 per cent of children aged 11-16 had sent a sexual image to another person.

The exact contents of the new curriculum have not been laid out, but it is likely to involve issues such as staying safe online and abusive relationships.

it is understood parents would be able to opt out of some aspects of the classes, although the rela-

‘Explicit and inappropriate’

tionships component would still be mandatory for all pupils.

However, yesterday there was concern from religious and campaign groups. anne Scanlan, of anti-abortion group Life, said: ‘We have to question what the Government defines as sex education.

‘We believe that it should be up to schools, not politicians, working in partnership with parents to define what sex education is and how and when it should be taught.

‘if schools are engaged in the delivery of explicit and inappropriate content in the classroom, it should be the absolute right of parents to withdraw their children.’

Laura Perrins, co- editor of the Conservative Woman website, said: ‘Parents are best placed to discuss these sensitive issues with their own children, not the Government or strangers in the classroom.

‘This state bullying should be resisted by all families. Such ‘‘education’’ could include encouraging young children to doubt their gender or biological sex.’

The change to the National Curriculum is proposed in an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill. Tory former ministers Dominic Grieve, Nicky morgan, maria miller, Dame Caroline Spelman and Tim Loughton are understood to be backing the change. at least seven Labour mPs including Sarah Champion, Graham allen and Jon Cruddas are said to be in support of it.

Jonathan Baggaley, chief executive of the PSHE association, the national body for personal, social, health and economic education, said sex education ‘should be at the heart of the curriculum and provides the structure to address other vital areas such as mental health, healthy lifestyles, skills for work and career success and alcohol and substance misuse’.

Head teachers have long called for clarity on whether the Government wants to enforce sex and relationships lessons in every school so that they can ensure they are delivering what is required.