All children in England's state schools should get lessons about sex and relationships from the age of seven, the Liberal Democrats have said. Under the Lib Dem plans, which will be included in the party's manifesto for next year's general election, schools would be required to offer lessons on sex and relationships in Key Stage 2 - which includes children aged seven to 11. The party also plans to make all state-run secondary schools offer the lessons, which form part of the wider area known as personal, social and health education (PSHE), the BBC reports.
More than 300 allegations of rape in British schools have been reported to police in the past three years, a rise of 40 per cent. Reports of other sex crimes in schools have also been growing, with 2,865 claims of sexual misconduct recorded by police in 2011 to 2013. These included 1,052 sex offences reported in schools last year, of which 134 were rape claims, reports the Times.
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