Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the teaching of high quality sex and relationship education in schools in preventing violence against women.

The Government wants to provide all young people with a curriculum that prepares them to succeed in modern Britain. This includes sex and relationship education (SRE) that is age-appropriate and fit for the world they live in today.

Sex education (SE) is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many academies and primary schools choose to teach it. Any school that teaches sex education must have regard to the Secretary of State’s statutory guidance on sex and relationships education. In some schools, sex and relationship education (SRE) is taught as part of personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE).

Both the Secretary of State’s statutory guidance on sex and relationships education and the PSHE Association’s non-statutory programme of study for PSHE include guidance on teaching about positive relationships.

The Government welcomes the Women and Equalities Select Committee (WESC) recommendations on preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools and we have responded setting out steps we will take in response, working with key partners.

The case for further action on PSHE and SRE delivery is actively under review, with particular consideration to improving quality and accessibility.