Harris case highlights need for compulsory SRE in school

The Sex Education Forum is calling for all political parties to commit to introducing statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) for all primary and secondary school children in an effort to prevent child sexual abuse.

It follows the conviction this week of veteran television presenter and artist Rolf Harris on 12 counts of assaulting four girls in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.

Forum chair Jane Lees said the Harris case, and that of Jimmy Savile before him, showed victims had “suffered in silence” for a long time, and highlighted the need for better understanding of abuse.

She said: “It is for this reason we need a long-lasting approach based on a guarantee that all schools teach children good quality SRE that includes learning to recognise and be able to talk about inappropriate sexual contact by others.

“Learning about what is and isn’t abusive behaviour is essential to help keep children safe from harm. We must respond to these cases by creating a legacy of guaranteed education for all children.”

Currently, primary schools can choose not to provide any SRE beyond biological sex education topics taught within science. An Ofsted report last year found in some primaries SRE is limited to as little as two hours taught in the last year of primary school.

The Forum’s It’s my right campaign calls for SRE to be statutory in all primary and secondary schools as part of an entitlement to personal, social, health and economic education and to be taught by teachers trained in the subject.

To read more about the state of SRE in schools, click here or see the latest issue of CYP Now.