Sex and Relationships Education

What do we believe?

The BHA is committed to encouraging informed and responsible choice. Therefore, we believe that all children should be entitled to full and accurate age appropriate Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), including unbiased information on contraception, STDs, abortion, sexual orientation, and the many forms of family relationship conducive to individual fulfilment and the stability of society. See our position statement on SRE.

The BHA believe that SRE can best be improved if it is a statutory, compulsory part of the curriculum in all schools, being comprehensive in scope and well above the minimum basics of what is currently required by law. Only very basic information about the biological aspects of SRE is currently compulsory in schools. SRE provision is patchy across schools, and the standards and scope vary widely between schools. Making comprehensive SRE compulsory in all schools, together with the necessary training and investment in teaching resources and information, should help to give teachers the skills and confidence to teach excellent SRE to their pupils.

What are we doing?

The BHA is a member of the National Children’s Bureau Sex Education Forum (SEF), and we recommend its work to teachers, school managers and governors. The BHA also sits on the SEF’s policy working group, representing a humanist perspective to the policy and parliamentary work of the SEF.

In 2008 the Government announced that they were persuaded of the case that SRE should be statutory. The current Children, Schools and Families Bill proceeding through parliament proposes to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, which includes SRE, part of the National Curriculum in England.

The BHA naturally welcomes this proposal, but has reservations about how some schools, particularly those with a religious character, may present issues, such as sexual diversity. The BHA also want parents right to withdraw their children from SRE removed from the Bill. Given the conflicting rights of parents to deny their children SRE lessons and a child’s right to receive education about relationships, we believe the law should firmly support the child and his or her present and future health. The BHA is currently lobbying in favour of amendments that address these concerns.

The BHA briefed MPs ahead of the Commons Report Stage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill, expressing concerns over Government amendment 70, which would effectively exempt faith schools from having to teach SRE accurately.

What can you do?

You can support the BHA by becoming a member. That helps in itself, and you can help even more by supporting our campaigns in the ways suggested above. But campaigns also cost money – quite a lot of money – and we also need financial support.  You can make a donation to the BHA.