Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to include domestic violence and violence against women in the schools curriculum in England and Wales.

The Department is responsible for the National Curriculum in England only.

The Government is engaging directly with young people to challenge attitudes about abuse and consent. This year the Home Office launched the third phase of its campaign ‘Disrespect NoBody’, which aims to prevent the onset of domestic violence in adults by challenging attitudes and behaviour amongst teenage boys and girls, and emphasises that abuse in relationships is unacceptable.

As part of the Government response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s report into sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools, we are considering how best to ensure pupils are taught about healthy and respectful relationships as part of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). This is an important aspect in preventing domestic violence and violence against women.

We are also grant funding four organisations until the end of March 2018 to support children and families that have experienced domestic violence. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-backs-projects-to-help-safeguard-vulnerable-children.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 requires my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, to make Relationships Education mandatory in all primary schools, and RSE mandatory in all secondary schools through regulations. The Act also provides for a power to make Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHE), or elements therein, mandatory in all schools, subject to careful consideration.

The Department will conduct a thorough engagement process on the scope and content of Relationships Education and RSE, and consideration of PSHE. We will set more details about the engagement process and the work to consider age appropriate subject content in due course.