Labour blasts ‘appalling’ lack of compulsory sex education

 
“So out of date”: shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says classes are a vital way to tackle bullying
Chris Ison/PA Wire
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Labour has clashed with the Tories over whether sex and relationship education should be mandatory.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, told the PinkNews election debate in London that the teaching was needed to help protect lesbian and gay teenagers from homophobic bullying.

“I am really appalled at the way the Government has dragged its feet on this because ... you have some surveys showing almost half of young LGBT people self-harming,” she said. “The idea that we are not making it compulsory in every school is so out of date.”

Baroness Stowell said new Coalition schemes to improve Personal Social and Health Education were helping.

But the Tory peer said it should be “for schools to decide what they should do in the most appropriate fashion for their pupils”. She said most provided good PSHE lessons, meaning there was no need for a law. However, Sir Richard Branson told last night’s event that the best way to tackle bullying was “early lessons on sex and relationship education”. Calls for compulsory classes were also backed by Green leader Natalie Bennett and Lib-Dem MP Don Foster.

“It is vitally important that we enable schools to find more time to make sure they can have proper PSHE time to look at issues like citizenship, financial literacy and sex and relationship education,” Mr Foster said. “I believe it should be compulsory and that would include free schools and academies.”

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