Schools: Health Education

(asked on 1st February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Times article entitled Abortion is like crimes of Nazis, campaigners tell pupils in school, published on 31 January 2019, what steps he is taking to ensure children receive factually accurate health education.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 11th February 2019

The Department is clear that pupils should be taught the facts about health issues, including choices around pregnancy, in an age-appropriate way. The draft guidance for the new subjects of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education is currently being finalised following the public consultation that closed in November. It sets out that pupils should be taught the facts about contraception and pregnancy, and that pupils should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when issues such as abortion are being taught. Information should be medically and legally accurate. The draft guidance also includes advice for schools when inviting external organisations to support teaching on these subjects.

Subject to making the regulations, schools will be required to teach the new subjects from September 2020, but they will be encouraged and supported to start teaching them from September 2019 on a voluntary basis.

Ofsted does not routinely report on individual curriculum subjects as part of school inspections, but inspectors expect to see the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum and are required to consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, which will inform the judgment of a school.

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