Prime Minister: ‘All schools’ should teach relationship and sex education
Prime Minister David Cameron has responded to a question about whether sex and relationship education should be compulsory, saying “all schools” should teach the subjects.
The PM was asked the question by Tory MP for Tewkesbury Laurence Robertson during Prime Minister’s Questions today.
Mr Robertson asked the Prime Minister: “Earlier this year 20-year-old Hollie Gazzard was one of two girls murdered in my constituency by former partners. Her father, Mr Nick Gazzard, has since set up the Hollie Gazzard Trust, one of the objectives being to promote the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education in schools. That is mentioned in the new national curriculum but the trust feels it needs to be compulsory for all schools and that it needs to be taught by external specialists. Will the Prime Minister help with this?”
The Prime Minister: responded: “I will look very carefully at what my honourable friend says. First, I would like to send my deepest condolences, and those of the whole House, to Hollie’s family, following her brutal murder. I would also like to pay tribute to the Hollie Gazzard Trust, set up by her family, for its high-quality programme of classes aimed at educating young people about domestic abuse.
“What we have said is that sex education should always include relationship education as well, and that goes for all schools.”
There have been various campaigns to have a more comprehensive and LGBT-inclusive curriculum for sex and relationships education (SRE) in schools.
The Lib Dems have signalled support for the bill.
Labour has already promised to make SRE statutory if it wins the 2015 general election.
Last month, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan hinted that she could be moving towards supporting statutory PSHE – however she is yet to confirm her intentions.
