§ Dr. SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions currently exist to ensure that children receive proper moral education, with particular reference to safe sex, at the primary and secondary school levels.
§ Mr. ForthThe new arrangements for sex education introduced by the Education Act 1993, which will come 293W into force in September 1994, require maintained secondary schools to provide sex education and give maintained primary schools discretion whether to do so. Section 46 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 provides for sex education to have due regard to moral considerations and the value of family life. Section 1 of the Education Reform Act 1988 provides more generally for the maintained school curriculum to promote the moral development of pupils. We are currently consulting on a draft circular of guidance to schools on the implementation of the sex education provisions: the final version will be issued in the spring.