Scottish Primary Schools to Teach Young Children About Sexual Consent

Scottish primary school pupils will learn about sexual consent, after a government study stressed the issue should be taught “from early learning through all stages of school education”.

Personal and Social Education (PSE) teachers will be provided with training and resources focused on topics such as sexual harassment and ‘gender-based violence’ following a Scottish National Party (SNP) review.

The study, which said it found PSE teaching “inconsistent and inadequate”, makes a series of recommendations for ‘modernising’ the subject, including that pupils should be given the opportunity to design their own lessons on topics they find “relevant”.

Schools are also told to “ensure a greater focus on learning about all aspects of equalities” during PSHE lessons in the document, which adds that this should focus on “more than just LGBT issues – promotion of positive relationships, behaviour, understanding and inclusivity”.

Speaking in Dunfermline Tuesday, when the review was published, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Personal and Social Education is critical to giving young people the knowledge, skills and resilience to navigate the various stages of their lives and reach their full potential.

“Pupils have told us that PSE needs to be more relevant, empathetic and informative and must reflect the issues facing young people today. Updated consent education will be stage and age appropriate, will involve young people in the design and delivery of classes and will deliver more consistent teaching at all levels.

“The recommendations will also ensure a high standard of learning and support in mental, physical and emotional wellbeing and will give pupils greater access to mental health support,” added the Scottish minister.

The report comes after Scotland announced its education system would become the world’s first to require primary and secondary schools to promote LGBT identities, relationships, and lifestyles across the curriculum.

Every state school in the country will be obliged to “embed” teaching on LGBT political history, movements, and identities within “all levels of the curriculum from early years to senior phase” in order to promote “equality and inclusion” of sexual minorities, after the Scottish Government adopted in full a set of recommendations drawn up by LGBT activists.