PSHE eduction: Statutory status would be 'a huge step forward'

Statutory status would help ensure that trained teachers are delivering lessons in areas such as personal safety and mental health in all schools.

It is a policy which has received widespread support from pupils, parents, teachers, business leaders and over 100 expert organisations such as the NSPCC.

Statutory PSHE education has also been backed by recent child sexual exploitation inquiries, putting the Department for Education under pressure to urgently review its position to ensure child safety.

The Committee’s reportwill be sent to the Department for Education for consideration

The PSHE Association Chief Executive, Joe Hayman, said: “We warmly welcome the publication of the reportfollowing what has been a historic inquiry from an influential committee into whether the subject should get statutory status.”

“Statutory status for PSHE would be a huge step forward and is a move supported by 87% of parents, 88% of teachers, 85% of business leaders, five Royal Medical Colleges, two royal societies and over one hundred expert organisations.”

“Four recent inquiries into child sexual exploitation have also called for this learning to be compulsory in schools to keep children safe, while the Office of the Children’s Commissioner has today expressed concern that its recommendation that PSHE is made statutory has not been adopted by Government.”

“We were particularly pleased that the Committee listened to young people when taking evidence: hundreds of thousands of young people have voted to make ‘a Curriculum which prepares us for Life’ a UK Youth Parliament campaign priority for two years in a row.”

“Ofsted’s report into PSHE education found that provision was “not good enough” with lessons too often taught by untrained teachers and key learning about child safety left off the curriculum: this simply cannot continue. Ministers must urgently review their position.”