PSHE and Sex Education in UK schools- Follow Up Article
An article published by The Guardian in November brought attention to pressures that have been put on government ministers to make PSHE and sex education compulsory subjects in UK schools.
The new proposals come after a report released by the Women and Equalities Committee in Parliament revealed that the sexual abuse of girls in British schools has become “Accepted as part of everyday life.”
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One of the report’s recommendations regarding this issue was that PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) and sex and relationship education should be made compulsory parts of the primary and secondary curriculums.
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Some of the consequences of institutional sexual abuse, as stated in the article, can include: “Physical and emotional harm, and young people developing a sense that sexual harassment and sexual violence are acceptable behaviours.”
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Laura Spence, a 24-year-old English teacher at Mortimer Community College in South Shields, agrees that sex education should become compulsory in secondary schools. She said: “Students need to know about issues such as sexual safety and exploitation in this day and age. As part of this, self-awareness and self-efficacy need to be learnt.
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“If they were taught right from the beginning of year seven about sexual safety then the future generations would be far better off.”
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Chris Watson is a member of pastoral staff at Houghton Kepier Sports College in Sunderland. He said: “Girls in particular should be informed of more regarding sexual safety, sooner. They become mature sooner and they are often the victims in situations of sexual exploitation and intimidation. You rarely hear boys being called “slut” or “whore”- instead they are wrongly awarded a level of respect.
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“It’s important that both boys and girls are taught about the psychological effects that can be caused by bullying if they engage in sexual activity too soon, and without sufficient education.”
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The report also claims that in order to tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence, age-appropriate education is vital.
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Hannah Cullen, a 23-year-old teacher at St Stephen’s Junior School in Canterbury, Kent, said: “Sometimes children have older siblings, from whom they overhear things regarding sex and relationships which can give them a distorted view. They might hear words they don’t know the meaning of and use them without understanding.
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“I think that if young people are educated appropriately about safe and healthy relationships through PSHE at a young age, then it will have a positive impact on their future.”