In certain circles, Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is always a hot topic. There is no doubt that the adults in the lives of young people want them to have the knowledge and skills they need in order to be safe, but the views of those adults differ hugely in terms of what they deem necessary and appropriate at different ages. And it is tricky, because young people are not a homogenous entity, but instead individuals with different contexts and life experiences. This poses a real challenge for schools, with criticisms levelled at them for covering topics too early or too late.
So perhaps it was no surprise that age limits for teaching aspects of RSHE was much of the focus of the guidance published on May 16 by the government. It was also where the media landed, with the BBC running the headline “Plan to ban sex education for children under nine”, in what was actually a very balanced article that featured views from children, parents, teachers, unions, and relevant organisations such as the Sex Education Forum.
All of this noise rather overlooks the fact that this is 1) a consultation on proposed changes to statutory guidance, 2) this means it hasn’t happened yet, so schools are required to continue to follow the current guidance, 3) when it does come to pass, schools will be given time to incorporate the new guidance into their broader schemes of work, and crucially 4) the proposals cover significantly more than simply sex education. And it touches our world of drugs education in more ways than one.
The first is that vaping is now specifically mentioned in the proposed guidance for physical and mental wellbeing teaching in primary schools, meaning that young people will be expected to leave this phase of their education knowing “the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, vaping, alcohol use and drug-taking”. Vaping is also overtly mentioned for secondary schools, with the addition of the statement “Pupils should know the facts about the risks of nicotine and non-nicotine vaping, including potential harm to the developing adolescent brain”.
The proposed guidance for secondary schools also has a significantly expanded section on online safety and harms which includes the statement “Pupils should know the risks of illegal behaviours online, including drug and knife supply or the sale of drugs online”. And a section on personal safety has been inserted which includes “Pupils should know how to recognise and manage peer influence in relation to risk-taking behaviour and personal safety”, which is very relevant to the DSM Foundation’s provision, in workshops we deliver, the PSHE resources we publish for school and college staff to deliver themselves, and performances of the play that tells Dan’s story through skilled Theatre in Education production companies.
There was already some content in the previous/current edition of the guidance which looks set to stay and sits at the heart of the Foundation’s aims and ambitions, including that by the end of secondary school pupils should know “how to critically evaluate when something they do or are involved in has a positive or negative effect on their own or others mental health” and “that alcohol and drugs can lead people to take risks in their sexual behaviour”.
Aside from the inclusion of vaping, much of the drugs and alcohol section for secondary schools is unchanged, meaning students need to learn about illegal drugs, their risks and the law relating to possession and supply; the risks associated with alcohol consumption; the consequences of addiction; the dangers of prescribed drugs; the risks of smoking tobacco, the benefits of quitting and how to access support to do so. A small but significant amendment is broadening out from “the associated risks” of drug use from “serious mental health conditions”, which statistically – and thankfully – affect only a small proportion of people, to the “potential health implications including the link to mental health”
Anyone wanting to get to grips with the proposals should read the 44 page document, and they may want to put forward their views which must be done by July 11 (and we would urge schools looking to do so to consult with their students, parents and staff before doing so). All of this can be done here. For reference – or a compare and contrast exercise – the current RSHE guidance can be accessed here. The DSM Foundation will, of course, be submitting a response to the consultation on the proposed guidance, and keeping track of developments so we can incorporate what is necessary into our provision, but also support schools – and of course children, young people, and the adults in their lives – with what they need.
