has told BBC 5 live that she
regrets not having made sex education compulsory in schools while
she was Education Secretary - and predicted that there will be
opposition to today's announcement.
She also revealed that - despite rejecting calls to make sex
education compulsory in February 2016 - she and had decided to make it
compulsory later in 2016. But the impact of Brexit, as well
as grassroots opposition, meant it wasn't pushed through.
Speaking to Emma Barnett on 5 live Daily, MP said:
"I was working on it with in the first half of last
year.... and I had agreed that we
would announce this last summer, but then of course we had six
months of government being turned upside by Brexit and the
referendum, and we didn't get a chance.”
She said that it wasn't just opposition from the Conservative
grassroots that had stymied the idea:
"It's not just about grassroots - it was right the way
across. There will be opposition to this. I don't
think anyone should underestimate that.
"Too many people jump immediately - and you see irresponsible
headlines, "Young people taught about sex". Of course
that's important, but so too is the relationships and the wider
aspect, keeping safe online."
She said that the idea was now "overdue":
"This is a debate where the time has - well it's overdue
actually, and I'm very pleased that it's going to happen now."
She anticipated some of the problems that now need to be worked
through:
"How are we going to give teachers and schools the confidence to
teach this? What happens if someone discloses that they've
had a problem."
