Curriculum Relevance

From 1 Sept 1994, government amendments to the 1988 Education Act came into force (England and Wales). These amendments are summarised below:

• Maintained primary schools: governors are given responsibility of considering whether or at what stage to offer sex education.

• Maintained secondary schools: governors must ensure the provision of sex education for all registered pupils.

• Parents have the right to withdraw pupils from all or part of the sex education provided outside the National Curriculum, in both primary and secondary schools.

• Sex education must be provided in such a manner as to encourage young people to have regard to moral considerations and the value of family life.

• In all maintained schools, governing bodies must keep a written statement of their sex education policy. This should be made available to parents and should be kept up to date.

In Scotland, National 5—14 Guidelines (1993) on Environmental Studies, Personal and Social Development and Religious and Moral Education, provide schools with a framework for planning sex education.

These three programmes offer teachers and schools support for implementing their school sex education programme in a way which engages pupils and provides an opportunity for stimulating further in-depth discussion and work.