NASUWT comments on PSHE
Commenting on the statement made today by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, on personal, social and health education (PSHE), Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:
“The decision to make PSHE a statutory entitlement must now lead to a detailed consideration of the role that suitably qualified support staff and other members of the wider children's workforce, such as health and social work professionals, will need to play in supporting schools in this area of work.
“Teachers simply do not have the capacity to absorb and cope alone with another statutory requirement.
“Allowing parents to withdraw their child from sex and relationship lessons up to the age of 15 does not, however, sit well with a statutory entitlement.
"If it is important enough to be a statutory provision, then it is important enough for every child to receive it.
“This is the only part of the National Curriculum from which parents have a right of withdrawal.”
