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Parents must be informed by schools about the content of their child’s sex education syllabus, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said.<\/p>\n
Companies providing teaching resources cannot use copyright law to forbid schools from sharing materials, an open letter from the minister to parents has warned.<\/p>\n
It added that any attempt to do this through contract terms would be “unenforceable and void\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ms Keegan said: \u201cNo ifs, no buts and no more excuses. This government is acting to guarantee parents\u2019 fundamental right to know what their children are being taught in sex and relationships education.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I\u2019m writing to schools and parents to debunk the copyright myth that parents cannot see what their children are being taught.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents must be empowered to ask and schools should have the confidence to share.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> Schoolchildren forced to return to Covid-style home learning over RAAC fears<\/strong><\/p>\n If parents cannot attend a presentation or they are unable to view materials via a \u201cparent portal\u201d online, schools may provide copies of the subject matter to parents to take home on request.<\/p>\n Schools are still waiting for updated relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance, which the Government has said will go out \u201cfor full public consultation later this year\u201d.<\/p>\n Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, welcomed the Department for Education\u2019s (DfE) move to strengthen parental rights in the teaching of RSHE.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThe key to children receiving appropriate and beneficial RSHE teaching is full transparency with parents.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we polled parents on RSHE earlier this year, a clear picture emerged. Parents wanted to be consulted by schools in advance and agreed that the teaching of the subject was important.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research clearly demonstrates that when parents are consistently informed about RSHE in advance, they are significantly likelier to have confidence in the curriculum and be supportive of the content.<\/p>\n \u201cThis move should help to reassure parents about the content and provision of RSHE.”<\/p>\n The latest update comes after a review into RSHE was announced in March following concerns that children are being exposed to \u201cinappropriate\u201d content.<\/p>\n The DfE is currently leading the review, which is also being informed by an independent panel to provide \u201cexternal expertise\u201d.<\/p>\n The review is considering how to make sure all RSHE teaching is factual and does not present contested views on sensitive topics as fact.<\/p>\n Ministers have previously suggested the panel would advise on \u201cclear safeguards to stop pupils from being taught contested and potentially damaging concepts\u201d, including bringing in age ratings setting out what is appropriate to be taught at what age.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/secondary\/5028350.jpg?r=1698076475002\")
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