UK Edition
Rishi Sunak plans to clamp down on inappropriate sex education classes in schools, The Telegraph understands.
The Prime Minister wants to strengthen guidance for teachers on relationships and sex education (RSE) to make sure children are only taught lessons that are age-appropriate.
It comes amid concerns that some schools are contracting sex education out to third-party companies which are exposing youngsters to explicit content and contentious ideas about gender.
Parents would also be given greater rights to request sight of the materials, even if they are provided by a commercial organisation, under the plans.
Current Government guidance on relationships and sex education makes clear that parents should have visibility of what is being taught to their children, such as the books used in lessons.
Parents ‘denied access to contentious resources’
But parents have complained that they are being denied access to contentious resources in areas such as race, transgender and sex education where external inclusion companies provide them.
Earlier this month the Information Commissioner ruled that parents are forbidden from receiving a copy of the content of sex education lessons which urged children to become transgender allies.
Material aimed at children aged 12 and above provided by The School of Sexuality Education (SoSE) includes links to Mermaids, the controversial transgender children’s charity, and a seven-minute video urging students to become “trans allies”.
But the watchdog ruled that parents do not have the right to receive the content of the lessons as it would “take away SoSE’s right to exploit its intellectual property”.
In another instance, a controversial sex education course that taught children as young as six about touching their own genitals was pulled by a council following a backlash.
The All About Me syllabus, which was rolled out at over 200 primary schools across Warwickshire, proposed that children should learn that “lots of people like to tickle or stroke themselves as it might feel nice” including their “private parts”.
The syllabus reassured children that this is “really very normal” but adds that it is “not polite to do it when other people are about”. It recommended that children do this when they are alone, such as “in the bath or shower or in bed”.
In September 2019, relationships education became compulsory in all primary schools, while sex and relationships education became compulsory in secondaries.
Concerns children are ill-equipped
Ministers faced mounting pressure from across the political spectrum to put sex education on the national curriculum, following concerns children are being left ill-equipped to cope with the new realities of online porn, cyberbullying and sexting.
Previously, only pupils attending local-authority-run secondary schools, which represent around a third of secondary schools, were offered sex and relationships education.
Mr Sunak also intends to look to review the Equality Act to make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender.
This would mean that biological males cannot compete in women’s sport and other single-sex facilities such as changing rooms and women’s refuges will be protected.
It would also mean clarifying that self-identification for transgender people does not have legal force, meaning transgender women have no legal right to access women-only facilities.
A Downing Street source said that protecting women and girls is a priority for Mr Sunak’s administration.