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16.03.2006

On Thursday 16 March 2006, six Members of the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) presented a petition of 5,000 signatures calling for the Government to ensure that every young person receives Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) within personal social and health education (PSHE) by making it a compulsory part of the national curriculum.

The demand for improved SRE in schools has been on-going by the UK Youth Parliament for the last five years.  MYPs (Members of the Youth Parliament) have repeatedly questioned Government why it is that some young people can receive detailed and informative SRE within their school timetable, whilst others receive the bare facts.  Ministers have promised to look into the situation, but no action has been taken and UKYP wants to ensure that all young people receive comprehensive SRE relevant to their age and gender.

Work on this campaign has been done in conjunction with the British Council’s Beyond Borders Project, which has brought together young people from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to consider the need for SRE not just in the UK to reduce teenage pregnancy and STIs, but also its global relevance to public health.

Jan Barlow, Chief Executive of Brook, the sexual health charity for young people, said in support of UKYP’s campaign, “Young people have been saying for a long time that the sex and relationships education (SRE) they receive at school is inadequate.  All young people need the facts about sex so that they can make informed decisions and protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections when they become sexually active.  They also need the opportunity to talk about the emotional side of relationships and to develop the communication and negotiation skills that will help them build healthy relationships and resist pressure to have unwanted sex.  That’s why it’s so important that SRE should become a compulsory part of the national curriculum.”

“A recent opinion poll carried out for Brook found overwhelming public support for better SRE in schools: 94% agreed that sex and relationships education should cover the emotional as well as the sexual aspects of relationships; and 86% agreed that every young person should receive sex and relationships education in school as a compulsory part of the national curriculum.”

For more information about the petition, UKYP’s SRE Campaign or the UK Youth Parliament in general, please contact Kate Parish, UKYP Development Co-ordinator on 07860 582362 or email kate.parish@ukyouthparliament.org.uk

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