The Government committed to provide access to free
sanitary products in England’s secondary schools and
colleges in last month’s Spring Statement, and today
Children and Families Minister confirmed access to
the free products will also be fully-funded by the
Department for Education in all primary schools across
the country.
Extending the programme to all primary schools follows
feedback from teachers, students and parents, and the
DfE is now working with key stakeholders in the public
and private sector to roll-out the programme in a
cost-effective manner that supports girls and young
women across the country.
Children and Families Minister said:
This Government is determined to ensure that no-one
should be held back from reaching their potential –
and wants everyone to lead active, healthy, happy
lives.
That is why earlier this year we committed to
fully-fund access to free sanitary products in all
secondary schools and colleges in England.
After speaking to parents, teachers and pupils, we
are now extending this to more than 20,000 primary
schools so that every young person in all our schools
and colleges gets the support that they need.
The announcement builds on bold new relationships, sex
and health education, published earlier this year, to
ensure every pupil learns about leading healthy lives,
including menstrual wellbeing, as part of a
well-rounded education on mental and physical health.
It also follows other steps taken by the Government,
including the introduction in 2015 of a £15 million
annual Tampon Tax Fund to support women’s charities –
and a commitment to end period poverty globally by
2030.
This commitment included the creation of a
government-wide taskforce, backed by £250,000, to work
with businesses and the third-sector to develop new
ideas to tackle period poverty.
Today’s announcement – which will see all primary and
secondary schools and colleges offered fully-funded
products at the earliest possible opportunity to
roll-out the scheme nationwide in early 2020 – has been
welcomed by charities and campaigners who have heralded
the “fantastic news”.
Amika George, founder of #FreePeriods, said:
This is fantastic news, and we’re so glad that the
government has extended this pledge to primary
schools. Period poverty should never be a barrier to
education.
With free access to menstrual products for every
child in compulsory education, every student can go
to school without the anxiety or stress of worrying
where their next pad or tampon will come from. This
commitment will ensure that all children can fully
participate in lessons and focus in class, and their
period will never hold them back.
Isla, 19, a member of Girlguiding’s panel of Advocates,
said:
A third (30%) of girls aged 11-21 told Girlguiding
they have missed school or college because of their
period. That’s unacceptable. Every girl should have
access to something so basic – and I am so excited
that the government is making sure that they do. Free
menstrual products in primary schools will help make
period poverty a thing of the past.
It’ll also help break down the stigma girls deal with
every month. Too many people think periods are a
secret or something to be ashamed of. But giving
primary school girls access to tampons and pads will
help break the taboo of periods from a young age.
