§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to Department for Education Circular 5/94 Sex Education in Schools, paragraph 8 (A Moral Framework for Sex Education)—
- (a) whether they are aware that there are wide differences of moral principle in this area, and
- (b) whose morals will provide the framework for sex education.
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education (Baroness Blatch)Circular 5/94 offers guidance to schools on the implementation of statutory requirements relating to sex education. The Education (No. 2) Act 1986 requires that sex education given to pupils at maintained schools is given in such a manner as to encourage pupils to have due regard to moral considerations and the value of family life. I believe that the great majority of parents share the Government's commitment to responsible and effective teaching in this sensitive but important area of the curriculum.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to Department for Education Circular 5/94, Sex Education in Schools, how they reconcile the commitment in paragraph 9 to "a reduction in the rate of conceptions among the under 16s by 50 per cent. by the year 2000" with the advice in paragraph 39, that "particular care must be exercised in relation to contraceptive advice to pupils under the age of 16, for whom sexual intercourse is unlawful. The general rule must be that giving an individual pupil advice on such matters without parental knowledge or consent would be an inappropriate exercise of a teacher's professional responsibilities"; whether they recog-nise the possibility of conflict between these paragraphs; and if so, how such conflict is to be reconciled.
§ Baroness BlatchI see no conflict between the paragraphs referred to by the noble Lord. The Government are clear that responsible and effective sex 65WA education in schools can contribute to reducing the level of unwanted teenage pregnancies, in line with the Health of the Nation targets.