Government 'dragging its heels' on compulsory relationship education
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
The government is "dragging its heels" on the introduction of compulsory sex and relationship education in schools, Labour MP Sarah Champion has said.
Education Secretary Justine Greening announced in March that compulsory sex and relationships education will be introduced in all secondary schools, and relationships education in all primaries, from 2019.
Prior to that, the Department for Education said it will draw up age-appropriate subject content and identify the support schools need to deliver high-quality teaching, with subsequent regulations and statutory guidance being subject to full public consultation before being introduced.
Speaking in parliament, Champion said the move would create a more tolerant society and also benefit child protection, and asked Greening to outline when relationship education will be introduced in primary schools, and what additional resources will be provided by government to fund it.
Greening said: "We're going to be setting out the details about the engagement process that will get under way to make sure that we can get these next proposals right."
Speaking afterwards, Champion said the government is taking too long in implementing its pledge.
"It's extremely disappointing that the Secretary of State refused to detail a timetable for implementing relationships education for all primary children.
"The government are dragging their heels on a crucial matter of child protection. Legislation is just words on paper unless it is resourced and acted on."
Champion has been a leading campaigner in parliament against child sexual exploitation in recent years. In 2014 an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, the constituency Champion represents as an MP, estimated that upwards of 1,400 children were exploited in the town between 1997 to 2013.
In the wake of that scandal Champion launched Dare2Care, a campaign to encourage debate about how to stop child abuse.
Last month she resigned as shadow secretary for women and equalities after claiming that "Britain has a problem with British-Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls".
