Sexting and porn lessons for secondary pupils

LONDON: Sex and relationships education could be taught in all secondary schools under proposals being considered by the British government, it emerged yesterday.

Pupils would learn about the dangers of pornography, sexting, domestic violence and the nature of consent.

Many schools already provide such lessons as part of child safeguarding procedures, but some – particularly religious schools – have been reluctant to do so.

Currently, only councilrun secondary schools are obliged to provide sex and relationships education, with academies and private schools deciding themselves.

Primary schools can teach the subject in an “ageappropriate way” if they choose to. The proposal would mean standardised sex and relationships education in all secondaries, although parents would still retain the right to withdraw their children from all the lessons if they choose.

It has been sparked by growing concerns that sexting, sexual bullying and assaults are now commonplace in schools. Campaigners say lessons are now necessary because of the large number of children accessing porn via their phones and tablets, distorting their view of relationships.

Children’s charities have warned many young girls are being subjected to sexual harassment daily and are pressured to take part in activities they are not ready for. They say all schools must adopt sex and relationship education so that children can be alerted to the new dangers of the modern world.

The chairs of five parliamentary select committees recently wrote to Britain’s education secretary, Justine Greening, calling for sex and relationships education to be a statutory subject. Last month, a report found sexual harassment was “part of everyday life” in schools, with more than a quarter of girls aged 16-18 reporting unwanted sexual touching at school.

However, some Christian, Jewish and Muslim schools have been unwilling to teach pupils about issues such as pornography, homosexuality and sex before marriage.

They are concerned it presents a threat to the ethos of their schools and could upset parents. Some MPs believe a change could be included in an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill, which is before parliament. But the government insists discussions about which changes should be made are still at an early stage, and it is understood any decision is a long way off.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, outgoing chief inspector of schools, has warned that the government should bring in compulsory sex education lessons “urgently”. He told the Sunday Times: “I see this as a priority given there are new forms of violence now in schools, not the sort of violence we saw in the 1970s and 1980s. I talk to heads all the time and there are increasing concerns about cyber-bullying, inappropriate behaviour to girls and sexting.”

Tory MP Maria Miller added: “What is currently compulsory in secondary schools is the science of reproduction; the rest is based on guidance that was last updated at the turn of the millennium and makes no reference to pornography through which, as we know, more young children are finding out about sex.”

An education department spokesperson said: “Highquality education on sex and relationships is a vital part of preparing young people for success in adult life, helping them make informed choices, stay safe and learn to respect themselves and others. Education on sex and relationships is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools, and many academies and free schools teach it… However, we are looking at options to ensure that all children have access to highquality teaching of these subjects.” – Daily Mail