Calls for council not to run pupil sex survey
Authority hasn’ t decided if it will issue controversial quiz
South Lanarkshire Council have yet to decide whether they will issue a controversial survey quizzing school pupils about their sexual experiences.
The Scottish Government’s ‘health and wellbeing’ census has attracted criticism over claims some of the questions are too sexually explicit.
There are also fears that teenagers could be identified because the nationwide census collects pupils’ unique candidate numbers with their answers.
A number of local authorities, including in Edinburgh and Fife, have already opted out of using the census.
However, SLC chiefs say that they are still deciding on whether to publish the survey, publish an amended version or not use it at all.
A spokesman for the council said: “Our officers are currently reviewing the National Health and Wellbeing Survey.
“As this process is ongoing, the census has not been distributed.”
Among the questions for teenagers is asking them how many sexual partners they have had, their experiences with vaginal or anal sex and what, if any, contraceptives they use.
The Health and Wellbeing Census will be given to pupils from P5 through to S6, but only senior pupils from S4 upwards are asked the questions about drugs and sex.
However, Bruce Adamson, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, expressed concerns that pupils could be identified.
He stated: “We are concerned that the survey collects the pupil’s Scottish Candidate Number and young people need to be made aware that this may allow them to be identified.
“Young people should have their rights clearly communicated to them in advance, including the key information that their participation is not compulsory.”
Joe Fagan, Labour leader at SLC, stated that pausing the survey was the correct idea.
He said: “The council has prudently decided not to issue the survey until the views of parents and stakeholders can be ascertained and the GDPR implications are clearly understood.
“However, councils should not be put in that position.
“This is a governmentled survey and the Scottish Government should take responsibility for addressing the concerns that have been raised.
“There are good reasons to ask relevant and age-appropriate questions about all aspects of our young people’s wellbeing.
“But we need to have confidence in the process and particularly the GDPR safeguards.”
Clare Haughey, the Rutherglen MSP, stated that concerns about the survey were unfounded.
She said: “Surveys like this are not new and the questions within it cover many topics, including nutrition, bullying, sexual health, substance use, sleep, and mental health and wellbeing. We can either pretend that young people are not exposed to the issues that we know that they can experience, or we can seek to properly understand the reality they face to ensure that they have access to the help, advice and services they need.
“A recent report found that in Scotland, shockingly, one in five teenage girls had been sexually assaulted, three out of five harassed or bullied, and two out of five were harassed at school.
“Understandably, therefore, governments worldwide have a serious responsibility to ensure that public service delivery is informed by lived experience.
“Any young person can opt not to take part in this survey or skip questions, whilst parents can refuse to give consent.
“Questions on sexual health are asked of S4 pupils and upwards, not younger pupils.”
Ian Harrow, the education spokesperson for the Conservative group at South Lanarkshire Council, called for the local authority to abandon the census.
He said: “The survey being carried out in Scottish secondary schools has caused quite a lot of disquiet among parents who are concerned about some of the content; disquiet shared by the Conservative group on SLC.
“We are calling on council officials to refuse to carry out the survey in our schools, as have other authorities in Scotland.
“It is an intrusion by Government into the lives of young people.
“When Scotland’s once vaunted education system has fallen in the PISA rankings, used to rate world education systems, the focus should be on equipping our children to face the challenges of an increasingly competitive labour market, not engaging in an exercise which takes them away from their studies and may provide dubious results as children will often give the answers that they think they should give.
“We call on SLC to refuse to take part in this survey.”
The survey has caused disquiet among parents... we call on the council to refuse to carry out the survey