Education
RSE Report Finally Published
More needs to be done to be transparent with parents and carers around what their children are being taught.
The Education Department has published the report into how the relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum has been taught at QEII.
Publication of the report only came after Gef had submitted an FoI requesting its publication and the gov announced its publication just four minutes after it responded to our request.
The report has concluded that more needs to be done to be transparent with parents and carers around what their children are being taught as the current ‘limited overview’ provided fails to properly inform them.
The report also noted that: ‘The investigators are not qualified to comment on the suitability of the actual lesson content (and this is outside their terms of reference), save to say that they accept the importance of RSE and note that the Scottish model was introduced after a period of consultation, research, and external review.’
Recurring Themes
One of the areas that parents who spoke to the investigation frequently raised was a lack of communication from the school.
Some parents also felt that their children had been introduced to topics, such as anal sex, without their knowledge which were not appropriate, while others had concerns about how gender fluidity was being discussed and taught.
It said: ‘The absence of or the limited nature of the communication from the school was a recurring theme which arose during the interviews with the parents/carers, particularly from those parents who are unhappy with the content of the RSE curriculum and the manner of its delivery.
‘Examples of the concerns raised was that there was too little consultation with parents/carers in advance of the lessons; parents should have been informed the content of forthcoming lessons in sufficient time to object or consent to their child’s participation; there is a need for improved communication and prior consultation; parents should have prior knowledge of lesson content; there must be visibility of content and improved communication; there is a need for open consultation and for greater transparency of lesson plans, videos and slides; prior disclosure of lesson material enables parents/carers to make informed decisions.’
It added that the school intends to write to them to inform then when students will be starting the RSE units and providing a ‘brief overview’ of the topics to be covered, with parents/guardians also able to look through the resources and discuss the context.
Looking at Years 7, 8 and 10, RSE advisory curriculum, the investigators ‘agree that the “Learning Intentions” listed amount to a limited overview or outline of the actual lesson content which is delivered’.
It added: ‘It does not necessarily give a clear indication of the nature and content of the “live” lesson. The evidence suggests that this is also influenced by the experience, personal teaching styles and discretion of the individual teachers.’
Minister Julie Edge said: ‘The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has taken immediate action to address the findings.
‘I would like to again thank all the parents, teachers and officers who have contributed their time. We will work with schools to ensure that necessary changes are made and a clear plan is developed to inform the most appropriate way forward to resume delivery of RSE in early 2024.’
You can read the full report here.
