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SecEd: On Your Side
Sex education has to
be compulsory
“Children already
receive some sex education
Pete
through the biology
Henshaw
curriculum, for which there is
Editor,
no right to withdrawal.”
SecEd
The words of the Catholic
education Service as quoted in the Daily Mail’s report
on the plans, announced this week, to remove the right
of parents to withdraw their children from sex and
relationships education after the age of 15 (see our news
pages for more details).
it is right and proper that the government make this
move. indeed, many will argue that this compulsion should
go further, with the ban on removing students extended to
an earlier age – 13 say. i am not disinclined to agree.
The rate of teenaged pregnancies in this country is high.
i’m not about to spout statistics, but i think we can all agree
that with less and less parents tackling this vital childhood
debate with their children, the gauntlet has passed, whether
we like it or not, to our schools.
Admission controls
education, in any area of life, is the way forward. We
cannot bury our heads in the sand and hope our children
learn the ropes themselves when it comes to sex.
headTeaCherS have called For every day place at the state
and in our increasingly sexualised society, where for legal action to be taken against Parents who try and cheat the boarding school, two students
children are becoming sexually active earlier, we need
parents who attempt to cheat the apply.
to realise that the education of every child is crucial and
school admissions system. admissions system have ‘nothing he contacted SecEd to express
a report by ian Craig, the his concerns that the issue of
should be compulsory.
schools adjudicator, found that an
to lose’ according to a new report.
cheating the system was not being
The comments above, that biology lessons are a
estimated 3,500 parents lie in order
Heads want this to change. Chris
treated as seriously as it should.
sufficient forum for these discussions, is ignorant to the
to gain their children a place at a “i found it a worrying feature of
extreme. PShe and sex education is about more than the
popular school each year, and that
Parr reports
much of the coverage that somehow
mechanics. it is about discussing the risks of sexual activity,
cheating parents had “nothing to it was understandable, or almost
lose” by doing so under the current admirable, that parents would cheat
the decisions that every young person at some point will
system. years running, and decided we had which apparently changed from in the interests of their children,”
face about sex, about what it means to be in a relationship, despite stopping short of calling either to scrap the criterion or go to being ‘good’ schools to ‘undesirable’ he said.
about pressure and exploitation in young burgeoning
for school admissions fraud to be great lengths to check the veracity in a very short space of time, even “even Mr Craig seemed to be
relationships, and so much more.
made a crime, Mr Craig did describe of the residence claims. We chose though they largely retained the resigned to the situation in accepting
We have to face reality. Parents are not stepping up
the act of misleading the authorities the former.” same staffs. in both cases what that there was ‘no appetite’ to
in order to secure a coveted place Mr Griffiths told us that where preceded this apparent decline was toughen sanctions.”
to the plate and children are being left to negotiate this
as “theft”, going on to say that for places were obtained fraudulently, the desertion of a swathe of highly however, Mr roffe said that
very complicated aspect of growing up on their own. The every place allocated to a cheat, a the guilty parents had their child’s articulate middle class parents, who admissions fraud was in no way
job therefore has to fall to schools, and compulsion is an
student genuinely entitled to attend place at the school rescinded. moved their children to schools a “victimless crime”, pointing out
important cog in this particular wheel of education.
the school was missing out. however, that was the only action nearer to where they lived when that every child admitted on false
Mike Griffiths, headteacher taken. they had apparently ‘improved’.” pretences was either depriving
at northampton School for Boys he added: “i feel a fine should in this situation, Mr dunne said another child of a place to which
Bluster and sputter
– which has already received 580 be imposed – perhaps a fixed that the two schools lost a number they are entitled, or putting strain on
applications for the 210 places on penalty notice? The money could of motivated parents and children, the resources of the school if they
next year’s roll – said that Mr Craig’s go to the school to help with the which impacted negatively on their are admitted over the admission
don’T you just love political speak? They always seem
findings were “unsurprising”, and cost of the inevitably large appeals league table position and, ultimately, number.
told us he wanted to see parents process such a school will need.” tarnished their reputation. however, “it is also corrosive to the public
to say so much without saying anything at all.
fined if they attempted to cheat the Chris dunne, headteacher at Mr dunne has a solution. good if the allocation of such a
ask a minister of any political allegiance what they are
system. langdon Park School in london, he told us: “if only there was fundamental public service is seen
planning to do for our education system and you’ll get no
he told SecEd: “in truth, this feels that the problem of under and some ethical way of conducting an to be compromised in this way.
end of responses i am sure: “We will raise aspirations and
is a very old story which will be over-subscribed schools has been experiment whereby all the children There is an offence of obtaining
attainment and work to meet the challenges of 21st century
rehashed annually. of course parents exacerbated by the way school league denied places in the local school goods by false pretences, why not
will want the best for their children. tables are interpreted by parents. of choice were placed together in one of obtaining public services by
education.” “We will close the educational gaps between
of course the vast majority will be he told us: “The situation is a much less favoured school. it false pretences?” he told us.
the rich and the poor.” “We will extend opportunity.” and honest. and of course a tiny part made so much worse by the way would be very interesting to see Specific details of possible
that old favourite: “We will raise standards.”
of one per cent will cheat – giving league tables are misinterpreted, how quickly both the results and sanctions to be taken against parents
rarely, when we are hit with this political rhetoric, are
hundreds of cases a year. sometimes wilfully, by local the reputation of that school started attempting to cheat the system will
we also confronted with the “how” behind it. and that is
“as a very heavily over- media and by a fundamental to rise.” form part of another report, which
subscribed school, it is one of misunderstanding about what makes Melvyn roffe, principal at has been ordered by ed Balls,
the question teachers want answered: how?
the reasons why we scrapped the a ‘good’ or ‘successful’ school. Wymondham College in norfolk, minister for children, schools and
raising aspirations and closing gaps, raising standards address criterion several years ago. “i know two inner city schools, also faces an annual battle when it families. it is due out early next
and extending opportunity – all noble aims, but tell us how
We found two or three cheats three one each side of the river Thames, comes to allocating school places. year. SecEd
you plan to do it. Please do let us in on the secret that we
are obviously unable to fathom without the brilliance of
your political will.
IN rESpONSE…
and when the politicos are not talking up their
aspirations in this manner, they are talking down the
The government this week aim to improve the outcomes of children’s trusts will place a Paul Hayes, chief executive of
opposition. These exchanges often amount to little more
announced a range of new of children who miss education clear responsibility on agencies to the National Treatment Agency:
measures to help support due to caring responsibilities at co-ordinate services to improve “drug workers are not child
than playground spats.
vulnerable children in home. the wellbeing of children and protection or safeguarding
“We’re going to make our schools the best in the world
England. young people. This will further experts, but their role in
if we get into power.” “no you’re not, you’re going to
The £6.5 million package Dawn Primarolo, children’s ensure vulnerable children are not providing effective treatment
dumb down our schools. We have already made schools the
will target a range of families minister: missed.” to drug-dependent individuals
best they can be. So there.” “What rubbish, standards are
at risk, specifically supporting “We know that some families with means identifying the influences
children living in poverty, complex problems can fall through Maria Eagle, justice minister: on an adult’s drug use and what
shocking, everyone knows that schools are rubbish. But we
children whose parents are in the net. local services must work “Children and families can play motivates them to stop.
will save the day.” and so on. prison, children of parents with together to identify the most a positive role in supporting Questioning what’s happening
To use the turn of phrase of William Wycherley, it is all
drug and alcohol problems, vulnerable children, make sure offenders and give them a reason within the families of drug
well and good blustering, sputtering, questioning, cavilling;
and children who are caring they are given help to cope with to turn their lives around. By users in treatment is critical for
but be sure your argument be intricate enough to confound
for their parents or other families problems and protected supporting them in turn, we can successful treatment outcomes,
family members. from harm. help to reduce re-offending and both for the individual as well
the court. i cannot remember the last time a political speech
Projects include a new The package of measures prevent children from being as any family involved, and the
left me in any way confounded. framework setting out how announced today will help drawn into a life of crime. This new guidance for local protocols
probation and prison services professionals working with guide shows how everyone can clarifies when and how to involve
• Pete Henshaw is editor of Seced and delivering
must work together with families and make sure no child or work together to do this, and the children’s social care. entering
diplomas. Email him at editor@sec-ed.co.uk or visit
children’s services, and an family is left behind. funding we have provided will drug treatment is protective:
www.sec-ed.co.uk and www.deliveringdiplomas.com
expansion of the Young Carer as well as today’s package, help identify children in the most it protects the individual, their
Pathfinder projects, which our planned changes to the role need.” children, and wider society.”
6 SecEd • November 12 2009
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