Headteacher Calls for Better Sex Education in Schools
In a passionate plea for improved sex education in schools, Nick Hewlett, head of St Dunstan’s College in Lewisham, has warned that a generation of children are at risk of learning about sex from unreliable sources such as social media and artificial intelligence.
Hewlett expressed concern that young people are getting a distorted view of sex and relationships, as well as learning about important issues like consent, sexual violence, and diseases from an unregulated online space. He pointed out that the lack of detailed guidance from the Department for Education has led to inconsistent sex education in schools.
Last year, St Dunstan’s College held a conference on the teenage pornography crisis, shedding light on the urgent need for more action to address the issue. This summer, the school will host another conference focusing on addiction.
Hewlett emphasized the importance of educating young people properly about relationships and sex to prevent them from developing misconceptions and facing troubling issues like STIs, consent, and sexual violence. He echoed the recent report from the women and equalities committee, which called for relationships and sex education to be taught up to the age of 18 to protect students from the risks of learning about sexual health from the internet.
The committee urged the Government, school leaders, and Ofsted to prioritize teaching about sex and relationships, emphasizing the importance of providing accurate information to students. Hewlett stressed the need for schools to lead and facilitate these sensitive conversations, working collaboratively with families to ensure that young people receive comprehensive and reliable sex education.