Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address the effect of pornography on girls' impressions of sexual relations.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Education can play a vital role in helping young people understand healthy relationships and identify those which are unhealthy. Sex and relationships education (SRE) must be taught in all maintained secondary schools and we expect most secondary academies teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Any school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s Sex and Relationship Education Guidance (2000).
The guidance makes clear that all sex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour. This is particularly relevant to sexual consent and the guidance makes clear that all young people should understand how the law applies to sexual relationships. The guidance is available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sex-and-relationship-education
Schools can also choose to teach about pornography in their PSHE lessons drawing on the guidance and resources available. The PSHE Association has produced a suggested programme of study as guidance for teachers, which includes teaching about the impact of pornography. We commissioned the PSHE Association to produce guidance for schools on teaching about the topic of consent, which was published in March 2015 and is available online: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/content.aspx?CategoryID=1161.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools address sexual harassment and bullying.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All forms of bullying and harassment are unacceptable and every school is required to have in place a behaviour policy with measures to tackle all forms of bullying. They are held to account by Ofsted and inspectors will look at records and analysis of bullying, discriminatory and prejudicial behaviour.
The Longitudinal Study of Young Peoplein England(LSYPE), which was published by the Department in November 2015, compared bullying among two cohorts of 14 year olds (year 10 students)from 2004 and 2014. It found that 30,000 fewer people in year 10 said they had been bullied in the last twelve months. This represents a drop from 41 per cent in 2004 to 36 per cent in 2014.
Good schools have a whole school approach to behaviour management that fosters tolerance and respect. Schools can also choose to teach about internet safety and the safe use of social media through their PSHE and sex and relationships provision. Under the computing curriculum, children from the age of five are taught how to stay safe online and how to communicate safely and respectfully.
All schools must have regard to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’. This highlights the specific safeguarding issues that staff should be aware of including bullying, child sexual exploitation, gender based violence against girls, sexting and teenage relationship issues, and signposts staff to additional information and support.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of statutory PHSE on the uptake of STEM subjects by girls.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Through the introduction to the national curriculum, the Government has made clear that all schools should make provision for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). PSHE is, however, a non-statutory subject.
The Government is determined to increase the number of young people studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, particularly girls. There have been 12,000 more A Level entries in STEM subjects for girls over the last five years.
PSHE plays an important part in preparing young people for the world of work including dispelling gender stereotyping. Resources to support PSHE include those produced by Siemens in collaboration with the PSHE Association. These resourced explore equality and the world of work which aim to inspire the next generation of female scientists, technicians and engineers.
We are also supporting schools in other ways to tackle this issue through professional development and enrichment activities, including the Stimulating Physics Network, and the inspiring “Your Life” campaign, which will transform perceptions of science and mathematics.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she is making on implementing Article 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to implement Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child so that it supports childrens' mental health.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to prevent sexual exploitation of vulnerable people with special educational needs in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The government’s report ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ sets out the steps that the government is taking to protect children from sexual exploitation, including children with learning difficulties and disabilities. For example, we are exploring how personal, social, health and economic education training and resources for schools might be tailored for staff and special schools, and have provided £4.85 million for services supporting child sexual abuse survivors, including vulnerable children with learning difficulties.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of studio schools on pupil attainment.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Studio schools have a part to play in our education reforms by harnessing the talents of students. They offer hands-on learning and work experience alongside their GCSEs and A levels, providing them with the vocational and “work ready” skills that employers demand.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the uptake of school theatre visits.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not collect data on the uptake of school theatre visits. Teachers and head teachers are in the best position to use their professional judgement to decide how theatre visits and similar activities meet the needs of their pupils, and to plan lessons and use their budgets accordingly.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 shows that almost all children aged 5-15 (98.1%) had engaged with the arts in the preceding year. Figures are available in the DCMS Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447730/Taking_Part_2014_15_Child_Report__Repaired_.pdf
The government recognises the importance of cultural education. That is why we are supporting Arts Council England’s Cultural Education Challenge, which calls for arts and cultural organisations together with the education sector to offer consistent cultural education to all children and young people.