Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking in schools better to educate young people in the dangers of knife crime.

The Department knows how important it is that young people understand the dangers of knife crime. Schools can choose to include lessons on weapons awareness and gangs as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) or Citizenship curriculum, with high quality materials available to schools to support teaching in these areas.

Through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the government is also making the subjects of Relationships Education compulsory in primary schools, and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory in secondary schools. These subjects will help young people understand safe, respectful and positive relationships and appropriate ways of resolving conflict, including conflicts that are voiced and fuelled through the negative use of social media platforms.

The Government is currently running a Call for Evidence on what pupils should be taught in Relationships Education, RSE and PSHE, and will be engaging with the Police and Home Office through that process.