SRE - it's my right

Five Parliamentary Select Committees have now called on the Government to make sex and relationships education and personal, social, health and economic education a statutory subject in schools. With the Government saying that it is reviewing the matter, and the Children and Social Work Bill currently progressing through the House of Commons, now is the time to increase the pressure on MPs, to try and secure statutory status.

MPs from different political parties have said that they support SRE and PSHE, but the views of some MPs are still unknown. We need your help now:

• To find out if your MP would support legislation to make SRE statutory as part of an entitlement to PSHE education
• To ask your MP to write to the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening

If you agree that every child and young person has a right to learn about their bodies, about growing up, about sexual health and equal, safe and enjoyable relationships please take just two minutes to contact your MP.

A template letter is provided, which will be automatically e-mailed to your MP. The letter is personalised so that it matches what we currently know about your MP’s views on SRE and PSHE. But to make your letter even more effective you can edit it yourself – here are some ideas:

• As a young person…. describe any SRE/PSHE teaching that you have had. Was it enough? Was it well taught?
• As a parent, carer, or grandparent… does the SRE/PSHE your children receive at school match your expectations?
• As a teacher, governor or health professional… are you getting the support you need to provide good quality SRE/PSHE? What is the impact of the gaps in SRE/PSHE for young people? 

We have also produced a guide to meeting your MP, so that once you have started communicating with your MP you can follow up with a meeting if you wish.

This campaign activity is part of the SRE – It’s my right campaign: www.sexeducationforum.org.uk/its-my-right  which is supported by the core members of the Sex Education Forum. The ‘write to your MP’ facility is provided by SEF core member the British Humanist Association.