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McConnell announces new sex education materials
22/03/2001
Scottish Ministers today gave LTScotland the go ahead to publish the new material on sex education recommended by the Working Group on Sex Education in Scottish schools. A Scottish Executive circular to Directors of Education: Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 - Conduct of Sex Education in Scottish Schools is also being issued.
In its unanimous report the Group made five central recommendations about the development of additional material to support teachers and schools in preparing programmes of sex education and consulting parents. The Group proposed that these recommendations should be carried out before repeal of S.2A of the Local Government Act 1986 took effect.
Jack McConnell said:
"The publication of these new materials fulfils the commitment made by Scottish Executive Ministers last year. I am grateful to LTScotland for taking forward this process on our behalf. They have consulted widely about these documents and we have responded by improving and amending the documents and rewriting the Guide for Parents and Carers. I am sure that the new materials will be a welcome additional resource to teachers and schools as they develop their policies in this important area.
"The process has been overseen by a Reference Group chaired by Mike McCabe who chaired the original Working Group. The Reference Group has endorsed all of the materials being published today. I am grateful to them for the effective way in which they have carried out this task."
BACKGROUND
1. Publication of the new materials was announced by Jack McConnell today, in response to a Parliamentary Question from Mary Mulligan. The full text is attached below:
Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow)(Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with the production of the new sex education materials recommended by the Working Group on Sex Education.
Jack McConnell: Prior to Parliamentary appraisal of the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Act 2000, Ministers undertook, before commencing the repeal of S.2A of the Local Government Act 1986, to publish the new materials on sex education. I am pleased to be able to announce that the following materials have been published today:
A Guide for Parents and Carers;
Guidance for Schools and Local Authorities on Effective Consultation with Parents and Carers;
A Summary of National Advice on Sex Education; and
A Circular to Directors of Education: Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 - Conduct of Sex Education in Scottish Schools.
I am grateful to LTScotland for taking forward this process on our behalf. They have consulted widely about these documents. In the light of the consultation responses, the documents have been improved and amended and the Guide for Parents and Carers has been rewritten.
The process has been overseen by a Reference Group chaired by Mike McCabe who chaired the original Working Group on Sex Education. Some other members of the Working Group were also represented on the Reference Group. The Reference Group has endorsed all of the materials published today. I am sure that they will be a welcome additional resource to teachers and schools as they develop their policies in these important areas.
The publication of these materials fulfils the commitments that Scottish Executive Ministers gave last year. Copies of the documents are available in SPICE. The Commencement Order to commence the relevant provisions in the Ethical Standards in Public Life Etc (Scotland) Act 2000 takes effect on 29 March.
2. The Working Group was set up to review the curriculum guidelines the light of the repeal of Section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986. The Working Group's second and final report was published on 16 June 2000.
3. Learning Teaching Scotland (LTScotland) were commissioned to take forward the production of the new materials recommended by the Group:
A Guide for Parents and Carers)
Guidance for Schools and Local Authorities on Effective Consultation with Parents and Carers; and
A Summary of National Advice on Sex Education.
4. Following a wide consultation exercise, which also included the Scottish Executive draft circular Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 - Conduct of Sex Education in Scottish Schools these new documents are being published today. Copies are available on the Scottish Executive web site.
5. The Reference Group was chaired by Mike McCabe and included representatives from Scottish School Boards Association, Scottish Parent Teacher Council, Health Education Board for Scotland, Learning Teaching Scotland and Scottish Executive Education Department. The Development Officer from the original Working Group was also a member of the Reference Group.
6. The new materials on sex education are available on the Scottish Executive website:
www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/a4consultation.pdf
www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/a5parents.pdf
www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/finalcircular.pdf
www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/natadvice.pdf
News Release: SE0757/2001
22 Mar 2001