Poll: Should sex education lessons be made compulsory in schools?
Lessons on sex and relationships should be compulsory in primary and secondary schools to prevent another Rotherham-style abuse scandal, women's rights campaigners have said.
The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), along with the Everyday Sexism Project launched a petition today calling on the leaders of the main political parties to make sex and relationship education (SRE) a general election pledge.
What do you think? Should sex education be compulsory in schools? Vote now in our poll and join the debate in the comments section below.
The campaigners, who also have the backing of Mumsnet, said youngsters were "bombarded" with negative messages about relationships and sex, stemming from an increased exposure to online pornography and "sexualised" elements of popular culture.
It follows the release of a damning report into the sexual exploitation of 1,400 children in Rotherham over a 16-year period between 1997 and 2013. EVAW Coalition director Holly Dustin said: " We cannot sit back and hope to respond better to the next Rotherham - we need to prevent it in the first place."
The petition calls for all schools, both primary and secondary, to teach SRE including sexual consent, gender stereotypes, respectful relationships and the harms of pornography, with increased t eacher training and statutory guidance.
Should sex education be compulsory in schools? Vote now and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
