Relationships and Sex Education

Pupils of all ages will have compulsory lessons from September 2020, with Relationships Education for primary-aged children and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) for secondary students.

Currently, parents may withdraw their children from lessons covering sex, up to age 18. This will be lowered to 15.

Relationships Education will mean teaching young children about “different types” of relationships, which could include homosexuality, transgenderism and same-sex marriage.

RSE would include teaching on “sex, sexual health and sexuality”. Draft guidance has said schools “are free to determine how they address LGBT specific content”. But the Government has recommended that it is “integral throughout the programmes of study”.

At a time when there is growing alarm at the sexualisation of children, this package of change could lead to the sex education industry, which promotes explicit materials, having much greater influence.