Sex and Relationships Education - past, present and future

Thursday 5 March 2009

The Sex Education Forum (SEF), the national authority on Sex and Relationships Education (SRE), based at NCB, has today launched -'Celebrating Sex and Relationships Education - Past, present and future - Proceedings of the Sex Education Forum 21st Birthday Conference'. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in SRE and includes a review of changes in SRE in England over the past 21 years that SEF has been in existence.

The book reports on the historic day when Jim Knight, Minister for Schools and Learners, announced the government's intention to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), including SRE, statutory. SEF had led the campaign on this for many years.

A review of PSHE is underway and there will be a public consultation later this year. In the meantime schools can take steps to improve the quality of the SRE they provide. This new book includes practical examples of how schools can involve young people, parents and the wider community in providing good quality SRE.

Lucy Emmerson, Acting Coordinator of the SEF, said:  "Young people tell us they learn about relationships, sex and sexuality from a variety of sources, but want information they can trust. This book highlights the progress we have made in offering young people good quality SRE, but also shows that there is wide variation in the quality of SRE offered by schools today. By bringing together research evidence, suggestions from young people and ideas from practitioners this book shows how and why more needs to be done to improve the quality of SRE".

Jane Lees, Chair of the SEF, said: "This review of current best practice provides a sound foundation on which improved provision for Sex and Relationships Education can be built. When SRE becomes compulsory in schools, all children and young people should expect a quality programme designed to meet their needs."


-ENDS-

Notes for Editors:
The Sex Education Forum is the national authority on sex and relationships education (SRE). We believe that good quality SRE is an entitlement for all children and young people and we are working with its 50 member organisations - including religious, children's, parents and governor, health and education organisations - to achieve this. For further information visit www.ncb.org.uk/sef

NCB's mission is to advance the well-being of all children and young people across every aspect of their lives.  As a membership and infrastructure support agency for the children's sector in England and Northern Ireland, NCB provides essential information on policy, research and best practice for our members and the members of our wide range of partnership bodies which operate under our charitable status and are based in our London headquarters. For further information visit http://www.ncb.org.uk/

For further information on this release contact:
Anna Tombs, Clare Lilley, Sarah Thorne NCB Media Office
Tel: 020 7843 6045/6047/6359/07721 097033        
Email: media@ncb.org.uk

Book details
ISBN: 978-1-905818-49-5
Publication date: 2 March 2009
Price: £25 / £20 NCB members
Format: Paperback
 
How to order
If you would like to order further copies to share with colleagues, please contact:

Web: www.ncb.org.uk/books
Email: ncb@centralbooks.com
Call: 0845 458 9910
Fax: 0845 458 9912
Post: NCB, c/o Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN