Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce compulsory sex and relationship education in schools; and if not, why not.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life.
High quality PSHE teaching has an important role to play in this, helping young people understand the world around them, building resilience and helping them to make positive choices and stay safe. We have made it clear in the introduction to the national curriculum that all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice. Academies and free schools are encouraged to teach PSHE as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Sex education is already compulsory in secondary maintained schools, and the Government is clear that all schools should make provision for high quality, age-appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE) which is a vital part of preparing young people for life in modern Britain.
The Secretary of State agrees that we need to look again at the case for further action on PSHE and SRE provision, with particular consideration to improving quality and accessibility. We are actively considering what steps we could take, including whether to update the existing SRE guidance and will give a view soon.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made to introduce personal, health and social education in all (1) state schools, (2) academies, and (3) free schools.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life.
High quality PSHE teaching has an important role to play in this, helping young people understand the world around them, building resilience and helping them to make positive choices and stay safe. We have made it clear in the introduction to the national curriculum that all schools should make provision for PSHE, drawing on examples of good practice. Academies and free schools are encouraged to teach PSHE as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Sex education is already compulsory in secondary maintained schools, and the Government is clear that all schools should make provision for high quality, age-appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE) which is a vital part of preparing young people for life in modern Britain.
The Secretary of State agrees that we need to look again at the case for further action on PSHE and SRE provision, with particular consideration to improving quality and accessibility. We are actively considering what steps we could take, including whether to update the existing SRE guidance and will give a view soon.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to made a decision on the future status of civil partnerships.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Government received a petition on extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples from the Equal Civil Partnerships Campaign on 17 November.
We are currently waiting for a judgment from the Court of Appeal on this matter and are unable to comment whilst legal action is ongoing.
The Government is committed to equality, and we will provide an update on the Government’s position on civil partnerships once legal proceedings have concluded.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the petition presented to the Minister for Women and Equalities calling for the extension of civil partnerships to different sex couples.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Government received a petition on extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples from the Equal Civil Partnerships Campaign on 17 November.
We are currently waiting for a judgment from the Court of Appeal on this matter and are unable to comment whilst legal action is ongoing.
The Government is committed to equality, and we will provide an update on the Government’s position on civil partnerships once legal proceedings have concluded.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the introduction of different-sex civil partnerships on the Isle of Man, they intend to issue a consultation on extending civil partnerships to different-sex couples in the UK.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Government has already carried out a consultation on the future of civil partnerships in 2014, and has no plans to carry out another consultation on this issue.
Following the passage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, we carried out a full review of the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which included a thorough public consultation on potential changes to civil partnership. Views were invited on three options: abolishing civil partnerships; phasing them out; or extending them to opposite sex couples.
The review found that there was no clear consensus on the future of civil partnerships. A majority of respondents to the consultation were against extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples and a significant number of stakeholders thought it was too soon to consider making changes to civil partnerships until the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples is known. Given the lack of any consensus, the Government has no current plans to make changes to the Civil Partnership Act 2004.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the suffragettes and the feminist movement will remain part of the new Politics A-level syllabus.
Answered by Lord Nash
A public consultation on reformed content for politics AS and A level closed on 15 December. The proposed new content for politics A level will require all students to study core political theories. This is an improvement on the current system which does not require students to study any political ideologies, including feminism.
We are analysing the responses to the consultation and have started work with the exam boards to develop the content in light of the views expressed. We will listen carefully to the views of the sector and the wider public as part of this full consultation process.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Department of Health and the Department for Education are working together to provide pastoral care and support to pupils with HIV.
Answered by Lord Nash
Children and young people with medical conditions should receive the support they need to enable them to participate in a full education. The Government has introduced a new duty at Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 under which school governing bodies must make arrangements to support such pupils.
The guidance for this duty has been developed in collaboration with a range of stakeholders including the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance, school leaders, academy organisations, unions, Department of Health officials and young people and their parents. In particular, the guidance advises schools to consider the social and emotional implications associated with medical conditions.
NHS England promotes partnership working in the commissioning and provision of services for children and young people with HIV. The Children's HIV Association is a member of the HIV Clinical Reference Group and leads projects with teachers to promote HIV awareness in schools.
Asked by: Baroness Gould of Potternewton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that teachers have appropriate understanding of HIV and HIV stigma.
Answered by Lord Nash
Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools, individual teachers and heads, as they are in the best position to make judgements about their requirements.
As explained in my answer to question PQ HL4437, the Department for Education does not prescribe specific measures to tackle the stigma of HIV in schools. However all schools are required to promote mutual respect and tolerance.