DfE’s sex education proposals doomed to failure, say women’s groups
The Government’s sex education proposals focus too heavily on self-restraint and are doomed to failure unless radically revised, according to key women’s groups.
The organisations, responding to a public consultation into sex education proposals that closes on Wednesday, argue that the government has betrayed its promise to overhaul sex and consent teaching in schools.
On Tuesday, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAWC), an umbrella group of more than 80 organisations, sent a letter to the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, saying that the guidance was “squeamish”, making only one mention of pornography and minimal references to menstruation.
The EVAWC has accused the Government of pandering to religious groups by failing to make sex education compulsory before the age of 15.
Sarah Green, the group’s Co-Director, said: “This proposal is a significant climbdown and not in the spirit of what was promised last year.
“The Department for Education’s proposals give a green light to schools whose leaders choose to teach only very traditional notions of sexuality, relationships and gender norms, and is generally squeamish about sex and sexuality.”
Read more on this story in The Guardian.