Getting their homework in just in the nick of time, the Department for Education published updated guidance for schools to help implement the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory curriculum during what for many schools, was the last week of the academic year. This guidance has been long awaited. It follows a public consultation period, which took place over a year ago.
Is the new guidance any good?
Some really important steps have been made in acknowledging the need for comprehensive RSHE. It is great to see the inclusion of topics such as reducing stigma around STIs and a greater understanding of important reproductive topics, like fertility and period health. All of these get a specific mention in the new guidance.
As a charity providing comprehensive and inclusive content from the RSHE curriculum, we’ve long included discussion of HIV PrEP and PEP (prevention medication) in our workshops on sexual and reproductive health. So it’s great to see them also included. We also welcome the specific mention of key issues like tackling online harms and sexual violence, such as coercive control and stalking. The updated guidance also specifically instructs schools to address misogynistic online cultures - citing the incel movement. (Here’s our free guide to tackling the incel movement)
We have long believed naming and challenging these harms is crucial to tackling gender-based and sexual violence. As well as covering these topics in our workshops, we also provide support and advice for schools and parents on these matters.
So what are the concerns?
We believe that it is possible to provide high-quality, open and honest education, within the terms of the updated RSHE guidelines. However, we have some serious misgivings about the tone and phrasing used in many parts of the guide. Particularly, we have concerns that such language has the potential to be interpreted in such a way as to harm some young people.
A major fear is how the guidance frames discussions around LGBTQIA+ identities, particularly with regard to trans people. In fact, it largely avoids mention of the words ‘trans’ or ‘transgender’. This shows a general lack of commitment to affirming and supporting trans youth.
There are also some transphobic dog whistles used, such as saying that schools ‘should not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity’. We believe that this has the potential to make educators reluctant to discuss gender identity at all, particularly around trans students.
As a side note, we find a statement which amounts to ‘not all people have a gender identity’ a curious one to put in a government document. We say this as an organisation whose members include academics and educator-practitioners working in areas of gender study. The idea that all people in a society have some idea of what is meant by the term ‘gender’ and also have a sense of where they themselves sit in relation to this, is not a particularly deep or complex notion. To deny that gender identity - and by extension personal and societal concepts of gender - exist, is a curious thing.
Another troubling statement made in the updated RSHE guidance insists that schools ‘should be mindful to avoid any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress or discomfort.’ What is the purpose of this instruction? Is it to (incorrectly) imply that some educators were actively persuading students to socially transition in the past? Or is it to suggest that we should now be telling young people that the process of socially transitioning is a difficult one, unlikely to alleviate their feelings of distress or discomfort? As educators, we have a responsibility to give students factual and honest information, not to make value judgements about their lives, experiences or identities.
There are other areas in the guidance, beyond trans identities, where the language used is problematic. For example, describing those who chose to continue an unplanned pregnancy as ‘keeping the baby’. This language is both factually incorrect (a foetus is not a baby) and also contributes to abortion stigma.
Elsewhere in the guidance, schools are told that they must be careful not to ‘stigmatise boys’. The meaning of this is vague. Does this mean we shouldn’t ever imply that there are any negative aspects associated with masculinity? Because analysing and critiquing gender stereotypes and expectations is at the core of understanding sexual and other gender-based forms of violence. The statement also speaks to a reluctance in parts of the guidance to properly name and challenge some aspects of toxic masculinity in a clear and constructive manner.
We share the disappointment with others in the sector that the Department for Education has chosen to keep advice on tailoring RSHE content to students with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities). We know from our d/ Deaf education project that there is a huge appetite for knowledge and best practice around how to effectively deliver RSHE content to SEND students. It is disappointing that the government has chosen not to centre their needs.
Perhaps in part, the problems of the new RSHE guidance lie with how it came about - through public consultation. We had concerns at the time of the consultation that not enough effort was made to include young people themselves in the process. This seems to show through in how the consultation ignores some of the realities and experiences of young people.
Additionally, as we have explored above, several dubious views appear to have been incorporated into the new guidance. This seems to take no account for any potential negative impact of these views, or from what position they are held. We strongly believe that RSHE should be informed mainly by the voices, needs and experiences of young people themselves. We feel this should be supported by input from experts, through evidence-led research, practical experience and knowledge - including educators and parents or carers. In that light, it is interesting that the RSHE guidance was opened to public consultation in the first place. What did the Department for Education hope to gain from opening up the process to the general public, which it could not get from intentionally consulting with students, experts and carers specifically? It was a different government, a different political party and a different Minister for Education who opened up this consultation in 2024. As such, they were not bound by it in the same way. It is curious then, to see what this government appears to have taken from the consultation - namely a lot of bias which does not ensure the dignity and respect of all students in an inclusive way, or consider young people’s voices.
What now?
The RSHE guidance will practically come into effect when the new academic year begins in September. We will continue to offer our high-quality workshops, as well as our training to staff delivering these aspects of the curriculum.
We have a range of resources to support schools and colleges with RSHE provision, available for free. We also have some recommended reading for parents and carers who would like to know more about supporting young people in these areas.
We would strongly encourage parents and carers to get in touch with their child’s school in the new academic year, particularly if they are concerned they may be negatively impacted on by some interpretations of the updated guidelines. Your voice can be really powerful in advocating how the RSHE curriculum is implemented in schools - something which is enshrined in the new guidance.
Our hope is that together we can all work to empower young people and ensure they receive the inclusive and comprehensive RSHE that they deserve.
