Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made for the implications of her policies of Recommendation 10 of the report published in March 2022 by the Transport Champions for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls; and if she will make a statement.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Recommendation 10 of this report proposes the development of a national education initiative in schools which educates young people on ways they can play a role in preventing violence against women and girls.

Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. Since September 2020, relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) has been a statutory part of the curriculum. RSHE teaches pupils what healthy relationships look like, and the concepts of, and laws relating to, all forms of abuse. The RSHE statutory guidance also advises schools to be aware of issues such as sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and gender stereotypes, and to take positive action to tackle these issues. The RSHE guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver RSHE, so they can develop an integrated approach that is sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of their pupils. Some schools choose to deliver programmes which include lessons on how to be an active bystander. Rape, harassment, and abuse are explicitly taught about in the ‘Being Safe’ topic. Schools should teach pupils the knowledge they need to recognise and report abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Pupils should know how to report concerns and seek advice when they suspect or know that something is wrong.

Following the Ofsted Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, the Department is producing non-statutory guidance that will focus on how to teach RSHE to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence. This guidance is to be published in 2023.