Thousands share their experiences of sexual harassment in school after calls for compulsory sex education
8 years, 7 months ago

Thousands share their experiences of sexual harassment in school after calls for compulsory sex education

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of people have taken to social media to share their experiences of sexual harassment in the classroom, following calls from gender equality and anti-violence groups for Sex and Relationships Education to be made compulsory in schools. In an open letter to Justine Greening, Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, Ms Bates said: “Young people are bombarded with confusing and often misogynistic messages from the world around them.” “Teenage girls are getting pressured into having sex… This is why we need compulsory sex and relationships education. It’s a scandal that our schools do not equip young people with the skills they need to understand consent, healthy relationships, LGBT rights and relationships, gender stereotypes and online pornography.” She went on to note that a BBC Freedom of Information request found that 5,500 sexual offences, including 600 rapes, were reported in schools over a three year period – a rate of almost one rape every school day. “It’s too important to leave to chance.” Earlier this year, it was reported that sex education in schools was seen as “unfit” for the younger generation.

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History of this topic

Rape culture widespread in UK primary schools with survivors as young as 5: Report
5 days, 16 hours ago

Rape culture widespread in UK primary schools with survivors as young as 5: Report

Firstpost  

The report prepared by Everyone’s Invited features names of 1,664 schools in the UK and Ireland where students aged five to 11 have faced sexual harassment, including groping, inappropriate touching and forced penetration An investigation by a UK-based campaign group has found that rape culture is widespread in the country’s primary schools, with students from at least 1,600 institutions submitting …

Karnataka plans to introduce sex education classes 14 years after rejecting it
1 week, 1 day ago

Karnataka plans to introduce sex education classes 14 years after rejecting it

India Today  

Sex education has long been a contentious topic in Karnataka’s schools. The government has announced plans to introduce sex education for students in Classes 8 to 12, alongside moral education for younger children. SEX EDUCATION, COUNSELLING, AND CYBER SAFETY Under the new plan, students will attend sex education classes twice a week, led by local doctors. Following the backlash, multiple …

How abstinence-only messages infiltrated thousands of schools like mine – and set sex education back decades
2 months, 1 week ago

How abstinence-only messages infiltrated thousands of schools like mine – and set sex education back decades

The Independent  

Using the analogy of a piece of tape losing its stickiness on your hand to show how each sexual partner causes a loss of emotional connection is not sex education. I naively thought that abstinence-only sex education was pretty much obsolete in the UK, reserved only for a few deeply religious, closed off schools. Section 34 of the Children and …

Homophobia rife in schools as three-quarters of primary age children report hearing derogatory comments
5 months, 1 week ago

Homophobia rife in schools as three-quarters of primary age children report hearing derogatory comments

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One child in Sandhurst told researchers: “We mainly hear people …

Badlapur sexual assault: Sex education, sensitising staff key, say educators
7 months ago

Badlapur sexual assault: Sex education, sensitising staff key, say educators

Hindustan Times  

Mumbai: The alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a Badlapur school earlier this month prompted the Maharashtra government to issue guidelines for the security and safety of children in schools across the state last week. “At the core of the recent issue,” said the principal of a Colaba-based private aided school, “is the government policy that permits schools …

Ban teacher-student relationships in college too
8 months ago

Ban teacher-student relationships in college too

China Daily  

Renmin University of China stripped a professor surnamed Wang of his title on Monday night after a video of a female scholar he was mentoring, accusing him of sexual harassment and coercive molestation, went viral over the weekend. These cases prove that female students need protection from sexual predators in the form of mentors and teachers. According to A Report …

Children should have sex education from the age of three, says Everyday Sexism founder
10 months ago

Children should have sex education from the age of three, says Everyday Sexism founder

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Speaking about the renewed debate around the issue at Hay Festival, during a panel chaired …

Sunak defends sex education plans as ban on teaching gender identity compared to Thatcher’s hated Section 28
10 months, 1 week ago

Sunak defends sex education plans as ban on teaching gender identity compared to Thatcher’s hated Section 28

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak has defended his controversial sex education plans after they …

Rishi Sunak has a new target: Sex education
10 months, 1 week ago

Rishi Sunak has a new target: Sex education

CNN  

CNN — As a general election inches closer into view, the embittered debates circulating inside British politics have entered a new arena: the classroom. New guidance unveiled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government on Thursday seeks to overhaul the way sex education and gender identity is taught in England’s schools, a significant intervention into a delicate topic that appeared suddenly …

Parents say children should be taught sex education 'at the start of secondary school' after row broke out over Government plan to ban teaching material to kids under nine
10 months, 1 week ago

Parents say children should be taught sex education 'at the start of secondary school' after row broke out over Government plan to ban teaching material to kids under nine

Daily Mail  

Are YOU a parent with thoughts on the changes? Parents have said that children should be taught sex education in secondary schools after a furious row broke out today over the Government's proposal to ban the topic for children under the age of nine. He said: 'At 13 years old you're into the second, third year of secondary school so …

What sex education do children currently receive at primary school – and what is Sunak banning?
10 months, 1 week ago

What sex education do children currently receive at primary school – and what is Sunak banning?

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak’s government is reported to be planning a ban on …

Children will learn facts of life from disturbing online porn: Experts slam banning sex education for under-nines as 'incredibly damaging' - and warn youngsters could develop an 'unhealthy relationshi
10 months, 1 week ago

Children will learn facts of life from disturbing online porn: Experts slam banning sex education for under-nines as 'incredibly damaging' - and warn youngsters could develop an 'unhealthy relationshi

Daily Mail  

Banning sex education for children under nine could be 'incredibly damaging', experts have warned — as youngsters may end up learning the facts of life from disturbing online pornography. Dr Amanda Gummer says withdrawing sex education for under-9s will push children to get their sex education from disturbing online porn instead Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is set to announce a …

Ban on schools teaching children about gender identity under new sex education rules
10 months, 1 week ago

Ban on schools teaching children about gender identity under new sex education rules

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Days after common sense minister Esther McVey announced a crackdown on pro-LGBT+ lanyards being worn …

Schools must not teach gender ideology under new government sex education plans
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Schools must not teach gender ideology under new government sex education plans

The Telegraph  

Rishi Sunak ordered the review into relationships, sex and health education lessons last year in response to claims that content was age-inappropriate, extreme and sexualising. It will also state that when sex education begins it must be based on “scientific” fact rather than gender ideology. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at women’s rights charity Sex Matters, said: “Commentary suggests that …

Nearly fifth of teenagers say internet main information source on sexual health
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Nearly fifth of teenagers say internet main information source on sexual health

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Young people are turning to online sources to learn about …

Schools defy ministers to let children change gender behind their parents’ backs
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Schools defy ministers to let children change gender behind their parents’ backs

The Telegraph  

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, has told Parliament that teachers should be cautious about any request to change gender and “parents should not be excluded from decisions taken by a school or college relating to requests for a child to ‘socially transition’.” The analysis of more than 600 mainstream state schools across Devon and Cornwall found that 73 per cent …

Opinion: The Latest In Anti-LGBTQ+ War: Criminalizing Teachers
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: The Latest In Anti-LGBTQ+ War: Criminalizing Teachers

Huff Post  

Black, brown, yellow, Native American. “Missouri Struggling to Staff Teaching Roles.” The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Jamie Gragg, said it would likely apply in removing any LGBTQ-related books or signs in classrooms. Like the librarians in West Virginia or the doctors advising women on abortion treatment, it’s not the “what” being terrorized but the “who.” To paraphrase Proverbs, “Understanding …

Safe Sphere: Improving sexual education for young people
1 year ago

Safe Sphere: Improving sexual education for young people

ABC  

How might we ensure that young people in regional and remote communities receive relevant and comprehensive sexual education? We've developed Safe Sphere, offering a co-designed sex ed program Community groups can create a forum where young individuals can openly ask about topics left unanswered by traditional sex ed classes. Safe Sphere operates on a cyclical model designed by young people …

Social justice, sexual education, the need of our times
1 year, 3 months ago

Social justice, sexual education, the need of our times

The Hindu  

Caste and gender are the deepest social cleavages in our society. A different yet vital education Sexual education is also an important aspect of social justice education. Need for government support As in the case of social justice education, sexual education requires a strong impetus from the government. Just as there is a questioning of caste and social hierarchy through …

Unions accuse Keegan of ‘inflaming controversy’ over sex education teaching
1 year, 5 months ago

Unions accuse Keegan of ‘inflaming controversy’ over sex education teaching

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It is desperately disappointing that you, as the Secretary of State for Education - …

Sex education classes often don’t include LGBTQ+ students. New restrictions could make it worse
1 year, 5 months ago

Sex education classes often don’t include LGBTQ+ students. New restrictions could make it worse

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — In fifth grade, Stella Gage’s class watched a video about puberty. Many LGBTQ+ students say they have not felt represented in sex education classes. Some groups including Planned Parenthood have called for sex education to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ students, but some states outright forbid such an approach. Students need more applicable sex education regardless of their gender …

Some GOP-led states are chipping away at sex education in K-12 schools
1 year, 5 months ago

Some GOP-led states are chipping away at sex education in K-12 schools

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — A dozen state or county agencies have parted ways with tens of thousands of dollars in federal grants meant to help monitor teenagers’ sexual behaviors and try to lower rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. “But they have to have foundational knowledge in first grade to be able to get to that in high …

Is it wise to impart sex education using adult content?
1 year, 6 months ago

Is it wise to impart sex education using adult content?

Live Mint  

A mom-influencer, who owns a popular parenting channel on Instagram, was in the news recently. A YouTube video had surfaced, in which she was seen praising a mother’s decision to “re-watch” adult content with her eight-year-old child, after the latter was exposed to it accidentally. Using it as an educational resource is like explaining science using a superhero movie.” Vijayachakravarthy, …

We need to free our schools of sexual violence
1 year, 8 months ago

We need to free our schools of sexual violence

Al Jazeera  

Millions of children in Africa and beyond are experiencing gender-based violence in their schools. School-related gender-based violence – ranging from bullying and unwelcome sexual advances to groping and rape – is causing severe, long-term psychological and social harm to countless children. This week, at Women Deliver 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, the Safe to Learn Global Advocacy Taskforce, of which the …

Sex Education: Guide For Teachers And Parents To Address Misconceptions
1 year, 10 months ago

Sex Education: Guide For Teachers And Parents To Address Misconceptions

News 18  

Sex education is a topic that has been debated for years in India, with opinions ranging from support to opposition. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that sex education is crucial in bringing about a much-needed change in society’s perception of an intimate relationship and removing taboos associated with it. The inclusion of such topics in sex education can lead …

Single-sex schools will be able to refuse transgender pupils
1 year, 11 months ago

Single-sex schools will be able to refuse transgender pupils

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Single-sex schools will be allowed to refuse transgender pupils under new …

Teachers call out rape threats as poll says 13% physically assaulted by pupils
1 year, 11 months ago

Teachers call out rape threats as poll says 13% physically assaulted by pupils

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nearly half of teachers surveyed said they do not feel that their school’s behaviour …

Children writing misogynistic essays and harassing teachers seeing online influencers, union says
1 year, 11 months ago

Children writing misogynistic essays and harassing teachers seeing online influencers, union says

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pupils are submitting misogynistic essays, using coded language and hand …

Transgender guidance for schools to be published for summer term, says PM
1 year, 11 months ago

Transgender guidance for schools to be published for summer term, says PM

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Safeguarding principles are being “routinely disregarded in many secondary schools” when it comes to …

Many schools ‘routinely disregard’ safeguarding principles on gender identity
1 year, 11 months ago

Many schools ‘routinely disregard’ safeguarding principles on gender identity

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Safeguarding principles are being “routinely disregarded in many secondary schools” when it comes to …

Shocking! Florida likely to ban discussion on girls’ period, human sexuality topics in schools
2 years ago

Shocking! Florida likely to ban discussion on girls’ period, human sexuality topics in schools

India TV News  

Florida: In a shocking development, Florida is likely to ban discussions on menstrual cycles and other human sexuality topics in elementary grades. If the bill passes, it would restrict public schools' discussion on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and related topics to grades 6 through 12. “So if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in 5th grade or 4th grade, …

Sex education must be ‘grounded in facts’ to prevent controversy – Ofsted chief
2 years ago

Sex education must be ‘grounded in facts’ to prevent controversy – Ofsted chief

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Amanda Spielman, chief inspector of Ofsted, told school and college leaders that “clearer and …

Sex education in schools to be reviewed amid concerns over ‘inappropriate’ lessons
2 years ago

Sex education in schools to be reviewed amid concerns over ‘inappropriate’ lessons

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government …

Masturbation lessons and 100 genders: What our children are being taught at school
2 years ago

Masturbation lessons and 100 genders: What our children are being taught at school

The Telegraph  

Case studies to be used as discussion points for Year 11 pupils include a situation where a boy wants to take his relationship to “the next level” by creating a video of him and his partner having sex. “I just really don’t think that primary school children and secondary school children should be exposed to this kind of ideology at …

Why sex education is important for teenagers
2 years, 1 month ago

Why sex education is important for teenagers

Live Mint  

Karnataka has been in the news for the last couple of months, ever since condoms and contraceptive pills were discovered in the bags of teenagers in a school in Bengaluru last November. “Teenagers will be sexually active, there is no way that they won’t be," believes Dr Singhal, adding that the problem is more about them having sex without taking …

How to talk to kids about sex and porn, as report reveals girls expect physical aggression
2 years, 1 month ago

How to talk to kids about sex and porn, as report reveals girls expect physical aggression

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Emily Atack: It’s the lack of consent that gives them the thrill
2 years, 1 month ago

Emily Atack: It’s the lack of consent that gives them the thrill

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I read about Emily Atack’s experiences …

Hey, Sex Ed Teachers: Not All Students Are Straight And Cis
2 years, 3 months ago

Hey, Sex Ed Teachers: Not All Students Are Straight And Cis

Huff Post  

Over the past five years or so, there’s been a surge of sexperts cropping up on social media in the form of influencers providing sexuality education for young folx. One of the project’s main goals is to help educators avoid siloing LGBTQIA education into singular lessons and recognize inclusivity as a more significant issue that permeates all educational topics, not …

Age-appropriate sex education set to be enforced by Sunak administration
2 years, 5 months ago

Age-appropriate sex education set to be enforced by Sunak administration

The Telegraph  

Rishi Sunak plans to clamp down on inappropriate sex education classes in schools, The Telegraph understands. Current Government guidance on relationships and sex education makes clear that parents should have visibility of what is being taught to their children, such as the books used in lessons. Parents ‘denied access to contentious resources’ But parents have complained that they are being …

Students and teachers demand better, more modern sexual education at schools
2 years, 5 months ago

Students and teachers demand better, more modern sexual education at schools

NL Times  

Sex education in schools must be improved and focus on more than just the biological aspects of having safe sex. Students, teachers, educational organizations, and expertise centers said this in a manifesto that they will hand to Education Minister Dennis Wiersma and Mariette Hamer, the government commissioner on sexually transgressive behavior, NU.nl reports. “Recent events around sexually transgressive behavior show …

Why sex education doesn't have to be awkward
2 years, 7 months ago

Why sex education doesn't have to be awkward

BBC  

Why sex education doesn't have to be awkward Prashanti Aswani Many parents would like to be a trusted source for their children, especially in the digital age. Many parents may feel a similar sense of squeamishness when trying to talk to their children about physical intimacy – though attitudes to sex education can vary widely between countries and families, research …

Time to save our children from mass sexualisation and their indoctrinated teachers
2 years, 8 months ago

Time to save our children from mass sexualisation and their indoctrinated teachers

Firstpost  

From London to California, children as young as six are being ‘educated’ in schools in such profound subjects as masturbation, safe sex, and ‘self-stimulation which encourages children to touch their private parts in bed and the shower’ Exactly a century ago, the Hungarian Marxist György Lukács, as Minister of Culture of the doomed Hungarian Soviet Republic, initiated the perverse experiment …

Children’s commissioner shocked by ‘horrendous’ sex education materials
2 years, 8 months ago

Children’s commissioner shocked by ‘horrendous’ sex education materials

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The children’s commissioner has said she was “shocked” to hear …

Put the onus on males to behave properly
2 years, 9 months ago

Put the onus on males to behave properly

China Daily  

Kara Schroeder Since I was a young girl, like most young girls, I have learned how to defend myself against physical and sexual attacks. Even on WeChat, I have had to change my settings to not allow anyone the ability to add me from group chats after receiving many random friend requests that mostly resulted in unsolicited obscene messages or …

Put the onus on males to behave properly
2 years, 9 months ago

Put the onus on males to behave properly

China Daily  

Kara Schroeder Since I was a young girl, like most young girls, I have learned how to defend myself against physical and sexual attacks. Even on WeChat, I have had to change my settings to not allow anyone the ability to add me from group chats after receiving many random friend requests that mostly resulted in unsolicited obscene messages or …

Sexual Offences Against Women: Key Interventions
2 years, 9 months ago

Sexual Offences Against Women: Key Interventions

Live Law  

A country in which women are violated in broad daylight, thrown on streets after gory torture and muzzled and suffocated under the garb of sacrifice and societal obligations is nothing short of a failure to its very existence. However, at this stage, what deserves our unequivocal attention is the long-neglected issue of the prevalence of rape myths attached to female …

Universities failing to tackle sexual misconduct ‘should risk losing status’, MPs say
2 years, 10 months ago

Universities failing to tackle sexual misconduct ‘should risk losing status’, MPs say

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Universities …

Why sex education needs to be more than just about biology and reproductive organs
2 years, 10 months ago

Why sex education needs to be more than just about biology and reproductive organs

Firstpost  

Sex education should always be more about an open dialogue than just biology and diagrams of reproductive organs Any conversation about a young woman’s sexual agency in rural India is loaded with social and cultural subtext. One of the biggest hurdles in normalising sex education in schools is the anxiety that it will lead young girls astray and put them …

Sexual assault is not a crime of ignorance: Why consent education does not address the real problem
2 years, 11 months ago

Sexual assault is not a crime of ignorance: Why consent education does not address the real problem

ABC  

Last month, the National Student Safety Survey released damning findings about the rates of sexual assault and harassment at Australian universities. Rather, what does our obsession with consent education — further reflected in an array of bizarre metaphors likening sex to, among other things, bike-riding, tea-drinking, and milkshake-sharing — imply about the assumed causes of sexual assault? But, by the …

This government is serious about tackling sexual assault in education
2 years, 11 months ago

This government is serious about tackling sexual assault in education

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That’s why, in January, I launched …

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