Tories favour optional sex education

Last month, it emerged that the teen pregnancy rate in England and Wales has risen for the first time since 2002.

Government plans to tackle the issue include making sex education compulsory in schools once a review on how best to implement the change is complete.

Speaking to CYP Now, Anne Milton MP, shadow minister for health, said the move will have little impact on teenage pregnancy rates or cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

"Making sex education compulsory isn't the answer to the problem," she said.

"The government have said that they want to make sex education compulsory but this doesn't address any issues about the quality of it. We need a much more co-ordinated approach."

Milton said her party is yet to formulate any firm policy on tackling teenage pregnancy or STIs but outlined some of the broad themes it will follow.

These include encouraging faithfulness and commitment and tackling issues around alcohol and drug misuse.

"This is not just about health, it is mainly about social and economic change," she said.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said government should address some of the influences on young people.

"Schools have a very important part to play but we can't solve all the problems of society.

"I would say start looking more closely at the influences on young people, advertising and the media in particular."