Commenting on the Department for Education’s call for evidence on
new relationships and sex education curriculum, Chair of the
Women and Equalities Committee, MP, said:
“The consultation of parents, teachers and young people
themselves on the new relationships and sex education curriculum
is to be welcomed. It is another step towards a school
environment that fosters safe and equal relationships for all
children, a key recommendation of our report last
year.
“Our inquiry into sexual harassment and sexual violence in
schools heard shocking instances of children of primary school
age learning about sex and relationships through exposure to
pornography. One of the ways this can be countered is by ensuring
that every child at primary and secondary school has access to
statutory high quality, age-appropriate relationships and sex
education.
“Sexist attitudes, stereotypes and expectations about
relationships can begin at a young age and often create problems
into later life. I am hopeful that this call for evidence, along
with the recently published advice on sexual violence and sexual
harassment between children in schools and colleges, will be the
start of concerted action by the government to respond to and
prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence of children.”
BACKGROUND
The Committee’s Sexual harassment and
sexual violence in schools report, published in
September 2016, made recommendations including:
- Creating a statutory
obligation on schools to take action to prevent and respond to
sexual harassment and sexual violence, backed up by guidance to
achieve this through a ‘whole school approach’;
- Age-appropriate
compulsory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) for all primary
and secondary school children;
- Creating a fund to
support specialist sector organisations to use their expertise to
help schools tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence.
The Government accepted the Committee’s findings of high levels
of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools in England in
its response to the report. Since the report, the
Children and Social Work Act 2017 has since made Relationships
Education for all primary school children and Relationships and
Sex Education compulsory for all secondary school children.
On 11th October 2017, ministers and gave evidence to
the Committee on the performance and priorities
of the Government Equalities Office.
On sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools, ministers
committed to:
- Looking at the
inclusion of detailed guidance for schools that perpetrators of
sexual harassment and sexual violence should not be put back in
the same class as the victim, and;
- Providing information
to the Committee on numbers of schools put into special measures
by Ofsted for failing to protect girls from sexual harassment or
sexual violence.
On 6th December, the Committee took evidence on the issue
of sexism and sexual harassment faced by women at
universities, the workplace in public spaces and
online. This follows the recent emergence of widespread
allegations in the UK and US about sexual assault and
harassment across a range of sectors. It will inform a possible
future inquiry into issues of sexism and sexual harassment.
