by Neil O’Brien
There are big problems – but this won’t fix them
There has been a long wait for the new statutory guidance on sex education.
A draft was consulted on before the election, yet a year has passed since.
A heavily-altered version was finally published on Monday.
Was it worth the long wait?
No. It’s a massive missed opportunity. I have written before about how sex education in schools has gone wrong, and the problems this is causing.
The new watered-down guidance means primary school children will continue to be exposed to totally inappropriate material. Too many schools will continue to teach kids terrible ideas – like the idea they are “trapped in the wrong body”, with terrible consequences for mental health and ever-rising gender dysphoria.
Bright spots?
Let me search for some good in it. Not everything is bad about the new guidance. I think warning kids against pathetic toxic influencers like Andrew Tate is good.
There is even a nod in the direction of greater transparency. But like so much in the guidance it falls short. It says schools “should” make materials available to parents. Surely there should be a legal right with no exceptions here? And one which allows parents to circulate the material so they can actually discuss it with others?
Labour voted down the creation of such a transparency right when we tried to insert it into the Schools Bill in the Commons – in fact, a Labour MP warned that parents might be angry if they saw the material. We will put this amendment again in the Lords – and it will be interesting to see if there has been a real change of heart.
Clare Page, a London mum who has waged a years-long legal battle for transparency in this area, is still awaiting the result of a tribunal on the issue. The verdict has been subject to an unprecedented, unexplained 10 month-long delay. She notes that some providers allow parents to “view” materials – but not circulate or discuss them with other parents. She notes that the new guidance at best supports “view only access to materials”. She says “I don’t like it one bit”.
Scrapped: proposed ban on sex education for children under nine
OK, that’s the good bit. The bad bits are really bad.