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This final report of the Working Group follows on from the interim statement where we concluded that the proposed package of safeguards was sufficiently complete, wide-ranging and robust to reassure the legitimate concerns of parents, carers and the wider community.
The Working Group is unanimous that sex education should be presented in a context that values stable relationships, healthy living and personal responsibility.
Throughout the deliberation process, uppermost in our minds has been the importance of meeting young people’s needs. These needs will vary and it is essential that the sex education they receive in schools is both relevant and meaningful.
We live in a diverse society and young people need to be aware of the value of commitment and mutual respect in relationships and partnerships. They should be aware of the value placed on marriage by religious groups and others in Scottish society. As they mature, they should be encouraged to appreciate the value of parental responsibility and stable family life as a means of offering children security, stability and happiness.
A balanced programme of sex education, from early years to the upper secondary stages will provide opportunities for all young people to explore these concepts and others in a coherent and supportive environment.
Sex education is an integral part of health education. Any evaluation of the effectiveness of sex education therefore has to consider the links between health education and other aspects of the curriculum such as Personal and Social Education, and Religious and Moral Education. Unfortunately these links appear to have been missed in the more public debate on this issue with the result that some parents and carers may not appreciate the place of sex education within the wider personal and social development of young people.
We know that schools are committed to developing the partnership between home and school and that teaching staff will continue to work conscientiously to develop programmes that show both sensitivity and sound judgement. The Group has identified a set of key principles that reflect the needs of young people and therefore merit the support of the wider community:
In the wake of the very public debate on sex education, it is important that everyone agrees on what is important to us and that we unite around the key principles to help nurture continuing links between home and school.
The initial stage of the work of the Group was concerned with the scope and general content of the package of safeguards proposed by the Scottish Executive. Our first report concluded that the package of safeguards was, in principle, sufficiently complete, wide-ranging and robust to meet the legitimate concerns of the public, parents and teachers.
The Working Group went on to review existing curriculum guidelines, advice and support information bearing on sex education. We took the opportunity to identify any material that required to be developed in advance of the repeal of section 2A and to secure general improvements in the quality of sex education. We concluded that existing curriculum guidelines, advice and support information were adequate and required no revision but that they could usefully be complemented by the development of additional material to support teachers and schools in developing their programmes and consulting with parents. In addition, we concluded that it is important that the existing and new material should impact on the practice of all schools, not just those managed by local authorities. We urge that all of the Working Group's recommendations be developed with due regard to the cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of contemporary Scotland.
1.The Scottish Executive should adopt the key principles and aims for sex education identified by this Working Group, incorporate them in the guidance circular, and consult on the terms of this guidance.
2.Summary guidance on available curricular advice and materials should be developed by the Scottish Executive and be made available to schools.
3.The Scottish Executive should offer guidance to local authorities and schools on effective consultation with parents.
4.The Scottish Executive should produce a parent's leaflet explaining the nature and purpose of sex education, its place within health education, and the importance of its relationship to Personal and Social Education and Religious and Moral Education. This should be available in Braille and other languages.
5.The Scottish Executive should organise seminars for key personnel from local authorities to help prepare the local response to the statutory guidance.
The above recommendations derive from the general issues and considerations that emerged from the different sections in this report. See Conclusions and Next Steps for general recommendations.
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