Leeds children call for better sex and relationships education in schools
Nearly two-thirds children in Yorkshire and Humberside think the government should ensure all children have age-appropriate classes on sex and relationships, n says a new poll of 11-15 year olds for Barnardo’s.
Nearly two-thirds of children in Yorkshire think the government should ensure all children have age-appropriate classes on sex and relationships, says a new poll of 11-15 year olds for Barnardo’s.
65% agreed that the UK Government should make sure all children should have sex and relationship education (SRE) at school with only 8% disagreeing.
And nearly three quarters (72%) believe all children would be safer if they had classes on the subject.
The charity has already called for the government to introduce compulsory age appropriate sex and relationships education through the Children and Social Work Bill. Barnardo’s wants MPs to put pressure on the government to make the change while the Bill is debated in the Commons.
More than 7 in 10 children surveyed online (74%) said it was important for them to understand the dangers of being online so they can stay safe. While 81% said they wanted to know the risks of sharing images of themselves with a stranger online, according to the YouGov poll of nearly 1,000 youngsters.
Steve Oversby, Barnardo’s Director in Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “The majority of children who answered our poll believe they would be safer if they had age appropriate sex and relationships lessons in school.
"It's time to listen to children who are clearly telling us that they need help in understanding the digital dangers and the risks of sharing images of themselves with strangers. Online grooming is a very real danger facing all children and nearly half of the girls polled said they were worried about strangers contacting them online.
"Compulsory SRE lessons for all children must be introduced as soon as possible - it will help prevent children being groomed and sexually exploited. It's time for government to make sure we give all children the knowledge that will help keep them safe. These children have spoken loud and clear and the Government must not ignore them."
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Maria Miller said:
“These findings underline the importance of ensuring all school children have compulsory lessons on sex and relationships appropriate for their age.
“It’s even more striking that children themselves are calling on the government to make sure they receive high quality SRE lessons so they can help keep themselves safe. The case for compulsory sex and relationship education has never been stronger.”