There is rightly a great deal of interest in what Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is provided by schools. Many interest groups are taking the impending report of the ministerial-led group reviewing Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) as an opportunity for them to air their views and to lobby accordingly.
What should be noted from many of the statements made by lobbyists and others, including parliamentarians, is that they are calling for more teaching about relationships and the social and emotional aspects of SRE; this would be a positive development. Aspects of this are applicable to education from the early years as are some facts about the body and human biology so calls from some quarters to restrict SRE to secondary age pupils are unrealistic.
The Catholic Church does, however, expect that SRE should be taught in line with the ethos and values of the school and therefore we support the existing right of Governing Bodies to determine the school’s SRE policy and we would strongly oppose any action which would sexualise children, or promote sexual activity outside the context of married relationships. We understand that if children and young people are to avoid exploitation whether by their peers or others, it is necessary for them to have accurate factual information on many sensitive matters and to be able to discuss them in a sound educational or family setting.
We are convinced of the importance of parents and carers as the foremost educators of their children and their views must be taken into account in planning and providing SRE. Parents and carers may well need more practical help to support their children in their personal development; too often parents and carers may abdicate this role because of lack of confidence. We hope that more attention will be paid to assisting them in this aspect of their children’s growth. This would match well with the aims of Every Child Matters and the Children’s Plan in the delivery of Well Being Targets.
