Parents must know what schools are teaching about sex
Transparency helps to reassure sceptical parents. Those who are shown worksheets and lesson plans in advance are four times more likely to say they are comfortable with what is being taught than parents who are kept in the dark. Most schools get this right and understand the importance of talking to parents but from next year there will be no wriggle room.
Across the relationships and sex education curriculum parents should be shown what is being taught and displayed in class: this is a nudge in the right direction towards transparency and is a welcome development for parents.
• Parents heading for court to make smartphones in schools illegal
Requiring some sort of consent from parents, even if they don't have a veto, acts as an emergency brake on sex education they think is inappropriate. If a parent is uneasy with what a school is planning to teach, they have the right to withdraw their child as a last resort. Department for Education edicts make it clear this should only ever be done after speaking to the school, a sensible position that strikes the right balance and protects parents.
Good communication with parents reassures them and makes 'sex ed' less contentious. Most schools do a good job but according to a recent poll of parents published by Parentkind, the charity I run, a quarter of parents say there has been a breakdown of trust between parents and teachers. This means parents are more likely to be worried about what is being taught or shown to their children.
In the battle over who decides what is suitable material for our children we should always side with parents. They are the best judges of what is age-appropriate for their children, which is why we need an unambiguous expectation of transparency when it comes to sex education. In backing these new rights, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has shown she is on the side of parents.
Jason Elsom is chief executive of Parentkind, the UK's largest parenting charity
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Crystal Palace issue furious response to appeal: ‘Sporting merit is meaningless'
Crystal Palace have accused Uefa and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) of rendering sporting merit as 'meaningless' after the club's demotion to the Conference League was upheld on appeal. Palace had challenged Uefa's decision to remove them from the Europa League over multi-club ownership rules, but failed in their challenge at Cas on Monday, and will thus play in the tertiary European competition in the upcoming season. Uefa demoted the FA Cup winners after finding that the Eagle Football Group were majority owners of Lyon while their chairman John Textor owned a controlling stake in the London club at the time of assessment in March of this year. Nottingham Forest will replace Crystal Palace in the Europa League having finished seventh in the Premier League last season. Responding to the decision, the London club suggested that 'certain clubs, organisations and individuals' had a 'unique privilege and power', and suggested that the decision-making process over their appeal had been flawed. Crystal Palace said in a statement: 'At a time when we should be celebrating our victory in the Community Shield at Wembley, the decision by Uefa and followed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport shows that sporting merit is rendered meaningless. 'When we won the FA Cup against Manchester City on that momentous day in May, our manager and players earned the right to play Europa League football. We have been denied that opportunity. 'It appears that certain clubs, organisations and individuals have a unique privilege and power. This growing and unhealthy influence has shattered the hopes and dreams of Crystal Palace supporters, and does not bode well for aspirational teams all over Europe competing to progress when rules and sanctions are unevenly applied in the most flagrant way. Crystal Palace fans protested against Uefa's decision during the Community Shield (AFP/Getty) 'Multi-club structures hide behind the charade of a 'blind trust' while clubs such as ours, who have no connection to another club whatsoever, are prevented from playing in the same competition. 'To compound the injustice, clubs that appear to have huge informal arrangements with each other are also allowed to participate and even possibly play against each other. 'While we respect the Cas tribunal members, the process is designed to severely restrict and, in our case, make it almost impossible to receive a fair hearing. 'The denial of all disclosure requests to obtain correspondence between the relevant parties, the refusal to allow witness testimony from those involved, and the general lack of formality and respect for law mean decisions cannot be properly challenged, leading to pre-determined outcomes. 'Uefa's decision has wider implications for the governance of the sport. A combination of poorly conceived regulations and their unequal application means our brilliant fans will be deprived of the chance to watch this team compete in the Europa League for the first time in our history. 'This should be a turning point for football. Uefa must fulfil its mandate to pass coherent rules which are properly communicated and applied, with reasonable cure periods to resolve uncertainty and consistent sanctions, treating all clubs equally with a proper appeal process. 'The European Court of Justice has made it clear that rulings similar to this will be under greater scrutiny from national courts in future. Only then will fairness and due process be granted to every team. 'Although we continue to take legal advice on the next steps, we will compete in the Conference League with the same determination and will to win that characterises this incredible club.'
The Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man Utd fans cancel Sir Jim Ratcliffe protest due to split in opinion on Ineos chief
A MANCHESTER UNITED fan group has cancelled a scheduled protest against the club's ownership due to split opinion. The 1958 had organised a march to Old Trafford on Sunday before United's Premier League opener against Arsenal to demonstrate against minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. 3 3 3 Ratcliffe's recent and unpopular policies, such as mass redundancies, failed signings and stadium plans, have sparked frustration within Man Utd 's fan base. However, the protest had to be postponed after a survey found the supporters divided regarding the Ineos chief's handling since 2024 when he took over sporting operations. Almost 63 per cent of the near 26,000 respondents said Sir Jim should be held to account for his decisions so far by means of a protest. However, 68 per cent also believe the billionaire businessman and Ineos should be given more time. The 1958 issued the following statement: "Jim Ratcliffe chose to get into bed with the Glazers and, in our opinion, is helping keep them in charge. "With a fanbase as diverse and passionate as ours, finding the right balance isn't always easy. "We've had to consider momentum, timing, fan appetite, broader consequences of protest activity whilst assessing how current and future decisions may impact us as fans "Given the current sentiment within the fanbase and particularly in light of these recent survey results, it's clear there is no unified view on the direction of the club under Ratcliffe. "That split is real, and we believe it would be irresponsible to risk creating a situation that could result in any 'red on red' conflict inside or outside the stadium." This comes after United's worst ever Premier League campaign that saw them finishing 15th last season. However, the Red Devils have completed some impressive signings this summer with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko joining Ruben Amorim's squad.
Reuters
6 minutes ago
- Reuters
Global plastic treaty talks are ‘difficult', European commissioner says
GENEVA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Negotiations to debate the terms of a global treaty to curb plastic pollution are proving difficult, the European Union environment commissioner said on Tuesday. 'I would agree the discussions so far have been difficult,' said Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy.
