Too much, too soon
Schools may be forced to compromise their ethical and moral beliefs under government proposals for standardising sex education.
A new report from independent research charity Family Education Trust (FET) claims that schools will have discretion over subject matter removed from them, and the influence and wishes of parents will be disregarded, under new government plans.
The government consultation on Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is aiming to make sex education a compulsory part of the school curriculum and to standardise teaching across the country.
However, Norman Wells, director of the FET and author of the charity’s report entitled Too much, too soon, said that this would run counter to the Government’s stated aim to allow flexibility for schools.
Mr Wells said: ‘Making PSHE statutory would inevitably reduce the influence of parents over what is taught. This raises the very real possibility that some schools would be forced to compromise their beliefs on controversial areas such as contraception, abortion and homosexuality’.
The FET also said that introducing sex education at an early age runs the risk of breaking down children’s natural sense of reserve, which helps to provide a necessary safeguard against sexual abuse and casual attitudes towards sexual intimacy.
