As the second reading of the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) bill approaches this Friday, January 22, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) criticises the absence of gender identity and LGBT in Sex and Relationships.
As a member of the Sex Education Forum, THT today welcomed it’s new research ‘Heads or tails? What young people are telling us about SRE’. However, the charity used the opportunity to further criticise the absence of gender identity and LGBT, in the current government’s approach to Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), as unrealistic in light of the respondent breakdown to the new research.
Of the young people surveyed 2,326, 4.5 per cent identified as trans, non-binary or other.
THT says the system is failing these young people citing the lack of diversity in existing SRE, and the absence of gender identity. The charity points to the National Union of Students survey released last year, which revealed that only five per cent of 2,000 Fresher’s students had covered LGBT in their SRE.
Shaun Griffin, Executive Director External Affairs, THT, said: “Growing up with sex and relationship education lessons that only teach the reproduction cycle is not enough. What really stuck us from this survey was the breakdown of respondents.
“Almost five per cent of 11-25 year olds who took part identify as trans, or non-binary. It is time we started reflecting real life in our classrooms. Gender identity and LGBT must be part of the new statutory SRE.”
Statutory status would allow SRE to be treated as other subjects – with teachers getting the training they need, and enough time being allocated in school time-tables for the subject to address real life issues including – LGBT, gender identify, respectful relationships, and consent.
The new survey also revealed worrying safety issues:
♦ Half (50 per cent) of young people did not learn how to get help if they were abused
♦ Over half (53 per cent) did not learn how to recognise grooming for sexual exploitation
♦ More than four in ten had not learned about healthy or abusive relationships
♦ Over one-third (34 per cent) of young people said they learnt nothing about sexual consent at school
♦ Half (50 per cent) of those surveyed had not learnt from their primary school about how to get help if you experience unwanted touching or sexual abuse.
Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion who introduced the private members bill, said: “The reason that the Bill doesn’t include specific mention of gender identity or LGBT issues in Sex and Relationships is because the Bill aims to be as broad-brush as possible at this early stage. The idea was to present the principle to Parliament in a way that doesn’t risk missing any specific area out – it doesn’t cover any specific provisions of any kind. The next step would then be to look into the detail of what exactly statutory PSHE should cover.
“My own view is of course is that PSHE should cover both gender identity and LGBT.”
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, added: “I recognise the importance of PSHE teaching in schools and agree that it should include LGBT relationships and gender identity. I congratulate Caroline on securing this Private Members’ Bill and will follow its progress through Parliament with interest.”
The Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (Statutory Requirement) Bill 2015-16 will have its second reading in Parliament, this coming Friday 22.
To view progress of the bill, click here:
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