CARE Concerned by Sex and Relationships Education Announcement
Social policy charity CARE has expressed concern about Schools Secretary, Ed Ball’s Sex and Relationship Education announcement.
On October 23rd last year the government announced, without any consultation with parents, that Sex and Relationship Education would be placed on the National Curriculum and made available to children from 5 years and upwards.1 Parents then protested and a petition was launched on the Downing Street web site.
It was subsequently announced that government would ask parents whether they felt placing Sex and Relationship Education on the National Curriculum was a good idea through a consultation launched on April 30th this year.
However, the government has re-iterated its initial decision even whilst publishing a document showing the responses to that consultation and the fact that 68% of consultees are opposed to placing SRE on the National Curriculum.
At the same time the Government has also announced its decision to remove the right of parental withdrawal from Sex and Relationship Education for children 15 years and over, even though a huge 79% of consultees said the right to withdraw should remain in place.
Dan Boucher director of parliamentary affairs said, ‘We are very concerned about today’s announcement given the failure of government to respond to the consultation. It is rather chilling that such clear opposition should have been so readily dismissed.’
On the parental right of withdrawal, he continued, ‘Children remain children until they are 18. The arbitrary introduction of 15 is completely at odds with the rights of parents in Article 2 of the Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms:
‘No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.’
Nola Leach, chief executive, concluded ‘Whilst we are pleased that today’s statement did stress the fact that schools will be given the flexibility to unpack the curriculum in practice, the processing of the consultation leaves a great deal to be desired and it remains very unclear precisely how this crucial flexibility will be delivered.
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