Sex education will be compulsory for all pupils in Wales
SEX education will become compulsory in schools in Wales and parents will no longer be able to remove their children from classes.
Relationships, sexuality and religion will be a compulsory part of the new curriculum from the age of five, the Welsh Government has confirmed.
Announcing the change the Welsh Government said “RSE lessons will always be appropriate to the age and the developmental stage of the learner”.
Some faith groups opposed the plans during an eight week consultation, saying it could affect trust with parents.
Some teachers, parents and experts are still divided about how sex and relationships should be taught in schools in Wales. Some believe there should be no sex education before the age of 12 and that teaching children about sexuality may confuse them. Announcing the change Education Minister Kirsty Williams said there would be “sensitive and careful implementation” of the changes.
“Our responsibility as a government is to ensure that young people, through public education, have access to learning that supports them to discuss and understand their rights and the rights of others,” she said.
“It is essential that all young people are provided with access to information that keeps them safe from harm.
“Today’s decision en-sures that all pupils will learn about issues such as online safety and healthy relationships.”
The announcement follows an eight-week Welsh Government consultation on ensuring access to the full curriculum. Guidance, resources and professional learning for schools will be ensured and a faith, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community involvement group will be formed and holds its first meeting next month.
“I recognise this is a sensitive matter and the consultation responses reflected a wide range of views,” said the minister.
“There is clearly a need for us to work with communities and all interested parties in developing the learning and teaching for RSE and RE – this work will be vital to enable everyone to have trust in how the change is implemented.
“It is vital that we continue to work with communities to ensure parents have the right to develop, care for and guide their children into adulthood while allowing our schools to provide a broad and balanced education,” Kirsty Williams added.
AN RSE Working Group that will oversee the new RSE statutory guidance to form part of the new curriculum guidance. The consultation also showed support for renaming the subject of religious education.
The most popular choice from respondents was religion, values and ethics and, as a result, the minister confirmed the subject name would change when the new curriculum comes into effect from 2022.
Wales Humanists said scrapping the right for parents to withdraw their children from classes on religion in all schools, including faith schools, could lead to “indoctrination” and was potentially unlawful.
“We are deeply alarmed by the proposal to scrap the right to withdraw from RE in faith schools, which in our view is potentially unlawful,” Kathy Riddick Wales Humanists coordinator said.
“Repeated international case law shows that jurisdictions that do away with the right to withdraw end up being found in breach of the humanright to freedom of religion or belief, as it leads to young people being indoctrinated against their or their parents’ wishes.
“The Welsh Government must urgently think again, or alternatively scrap the ability of faith schools to teach in line with their religion.”