Proposed legislation to make sex and relationship education (SRE) mandatory in all UK schools has been rejected by a parliamentary committee. Currently, only state schools have to provide compulsory lessons on the biological aspects of sex, and no schools are obliged to teach pupils about the social and emotional aspects of sex, or make classes LGBT inclusive. A Barnardo’s survey recently found that seven out of 10 children aged 11–15 thought the government should ensure all children have school lessons on sex and relationships.
MPs vote against compulsory sex and relationships education
