Mumsnet piles pressure on Education Secretary over compulsory sex education
Parenting site Mumsnet has joined with several other groups in calls for Nicky Morgan to make sex and relationships education (SRE) a statutory requirement for all schools.
The Education Secretary is facing growing pressure to outline support ahead of a Commons vote next month.
Mumsnet, the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition and the Everyday Sexism project, are calling for the reform in a new petition.
EVAW Coalition Director Holly Dustin said: “The case for compulsory SRE as part of PSHE is now overwhelming. It is a common sense measure in light of what we know about young people’s lives, the pressures they face and the prevalence of abuse of girls and women.
“In the past some parents have been concerned about the possible sharing of explicit material in school with their young children. We are calling for a strong focus on the relationships aspect of SRE when taught in school and, of course, for all SRE to be age appropriate. At ages five to eight, for example, these classes should be about respecting others, equality and privacy.”
The Lib Dems have signalled support for the bill.
Labour has already promised to make SRE statutory if it wins the 2015 general election.
Earlier this month, Mrs Morgan hinted that she could be moving towards supporting statutory PSHE.
It’s expected she will outline her position ahead of the vote.
