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Parents are ‘happy with school sex education’

Sex education in schools has widespread parental approval, according to a new survey published by the Health Education Authority.

The findings of the survey, which indicate support from parents for sex education in both primary and secondary schools, are in marked contrast with the reaction of goverment ministers who criticised sex education at a Leeds junior school last March.

More than 70 per cent of parents would not withdraw their children from school sex education classes, and almost as many said they talked to their children about sexual matters.

But the chief executive of the HEA, Dr Spencer Hagard, has recently resigned from his post amid uncertainty over the future of the authority. There are widespread rumours that the government plans a radical scaling down of the HEA, putting staff onto self-employed contracts, and privatising the publishing section. Ministerial fury over the HEA’s stance on sex education may have contributed to Dr Hagard’s early departure.